small army of paper-hangers and white-washers were at work. A man was busy fastening flower boxes in the lower windows. On all hands were suggestions of impending occupation. Burton mounted the

former mysterious

of a man who was deliberately s

sterer

itted. "It's been

around him a l

m very busy,

ry. Nobody can't do impossibilities, mister," he continued, "leaving out the Unions, which can't bear to see us over-e

ed. "Tell me, what's become of the rugs and oddm

a moment thoughtfully, and squeezed down a

ch a family I can't afford more than o

etted, "but I'll stand a couple of ounces, w

ation, struck a vilely smelling match, and lit

ts of furniture?" B

e one must have nipped in just as you did this morning, and whisked them off. Eas

?" Burton dema

ore yes

ddington kno

from his teeth and gazed

a red-faced gentleman-kind of auctioneer or a

gnized the

sented, "is M

pe in the corner of his mou

om what I could hear, to want to give him something to eat out of that room. I put him down a

ppointed?" B

er. He nodded his head a great m

ped for close on five minutes, and old Joe-him on the ladder there-he came all the way down and listened with his mouth open, and he

e as to the whereabouts of the missing pr

nowt but a few mouldy rugs and a flower-pot in the room. Some folks does seem able to work themselves up in

liar nature of the business conducted by the firm, he could only conclude that ruin, prompt and absolute, had been the inevitable sequence of Mr. Waddingt

ington in?"

ings. The tattered bills had been torn down from the walls, the dust-covered files of papers removed, the ceilings and walls painted and papered. A general cleanliness

sale of furniture," he replied. "I can send

thing, but the last person who had need of it was surely an auctioneer engaged in the sale of sham articles of every description! It was putting the man

ill step into the sales-ro

ther lots less familiar. Mr. Waddington stood in his accustomed place but not in his accustomed attitude. The change in him was obvious but in a sense pathetic. He was quietly dressed, and his manner denoted

next item on the catalogue is number 17, described as an oak chest, sa

ward from his rostrum. Hi

xamine it for yourselves-pray examine it thoroughly before you bid. My impression is that it is a common oak chest, treated by the modern huckster whose business it is to make new things look like old. I have told you my opinion, ladies and gentlemen. At what

ly in their desire to examine the chest. A dark, corpulent man, with curly bla

hat have you got up your sleeve that you don't want

gentlemen, that I have simply told you what I believe to be the absolute truth. It is my business to sell whatever is

d joined a little knot of brokers who were busy discussing matters. The various remarks w

d man's

re's a game

buy in some o

knows what

or a while and then re

that there are one or two pieces of real good

luded with other articles which have not the same antecedents. You may be able to pick out which they

s. Mr. Waddington mopped his

about it. As a matter of fact I have had scarcely any experience in real antique furniture. We must g

. "More than it'th worth,

ddington admitted, dolefully. "However, if you

nock the chest down, but was met with

o-t

hr

ee-t

ou

ur-

iv

pou

ev

en-t

pou

ld gentleman looked around him fiercely. The gentleman was seemingly opulent and Mr.

it, sir?" he asked. "The chest i

ost improper behavior, I call it, trying to buy in your own goods in this bare-faced manner. My

is hammer and struck th

he sale, the auctionee

oned to him eagerly.

st

lk to you! You see what's happened to me?" he wen

, I

" Mr. Waddington dec

me what's happened

essed. "I am beginning

ust go on with the sale now. Take a little lunch with me af

or two articles which really had the appearance of being genuine, and over which he hesitated, fetched enormous prices, and all the time his eager clients eyed him suspiciously. No one trusted him, and yet it was obvious that if he had advertised a sale every day, the room would have been packed. Burton watched the proceedings with th

fternoon, sir?" so

e auctioneer replied,