PUTTING UP A KISS TO AUCTION.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1090, 24 September 1883, Page 2

PUTTING UP A KISS TO AUCTION.

A remarkable kissing transaction occurred not long ago in Austria; In this instance a kiss was actually pul np for t sale by auction, and publicly bestowed' upon the highest bidder. .The occasion was a charity fete got up in the little town of Torantal on behalf of the"poor at Agfam. The well-meant endeavours of the benevolent ladies arid gentlemen who acted as salesman and stallholders to induce visitors to purchase trifles, exposed for sale at twenty times their, value had" not succeeded. Business was not brisk. The public who filled the salle were not in a generous mood, and the organisers of the fete were disheartened. At this juncture one of the lady patronesses, a remarkably beautiful woman, had what she thought a happy inspiration. She took her husband aside, conferred .with him for a few and shortly after, with his consent, offered a kiss to the highest bidder, the sum paid for the. favour to be added to the receipts of the fete. The result of this novel idea hardly came up to what was anticipated. Very low sums were at first offered by the young men—for, of course the feminine portion ot the visitors were not tempted by the opportunity—and ultimately the kiss was knocked down at the comparatively paltry figure of 15

florins and eleven krenzers. The husband of the lady, seeing the slight store set by the favour, offered to pay the amount himself and take the kiss ; but the claimant had already handed over the money, and as he refused to agree to the bargain being cancelled the kiss was exchanged before the assembled company.— Chambers' Journal.