MATT SPEAKS HIS MIND.
Matt did not wait to encounter the rival auctioneers, but walked away
and entered the door of his own store. Andy was busy, dusting up, and
to his partner he told what he had heard.
"Phew!" whistled Andy. "That will make matters rather interesting. Is
that their wagon out there?"
"I suppose it is. Those are the same two men, I am certain."
"Yes, they are. Well, if they are the swindlers folks in Bethlehem
said they were we ought not to fear them. People are not fools, and
they soon learn if a man is honest or not."
"They may take away a good bit of trade, nevertheless, Andy. And we
were just congratulating ourselves on what a fine week we were going
to have."
"We must do our best, Matt. This puts me on my mettle."
They talked the matter over a bit, and then set to work to "put their
best foot forward," as Andy termed it. The window was cleaned as it
had never been cleaned before, and also the show-cases and shelves,
and then they proceeded to make the most elaborate display possible.
"There; that ought to attract people, if anything will," remarked
Andy, when the work was finished.
"You are right; the window couldn't look better. But perhaps they will
put out big price signs."
"Never mind, they can't afford to sell any cheaper than we can. I
bought all the goods at bottom figures. Let us start up before they
get ready."
They began to play on several instruments, and as soon as half a dozen
people were collected Andy began to talk and tell jokes. Before the
rival auctioneers had their stock inside of their store Matt and Andy
were doing a pretty fair business.
Seeing this, Gissem & Fillow hurried up their preparations, and by
noon both places were "going it for all they were worth," as Matt
expressed it.
Gissem seemed to be the principal member of the firm, Fillow and the
boy being merely helpers. He was a tall, thin-faced and clean-shaven
man, with hard, steely-blue eyes.
"This way for bargains!" he cried out, coming out upon the sidewalk.
"This way, gents and ladies! The only place in Wilkesbarre selling
reliable goods at rock-bottom figures! Don't be deceived by rival
concerns trying to obtain a bit of our well-earned prosperity! Come
right in and be convinced!" And he kept on in this strain for fully
five minutes.
"Well, that is what I call downright mean," cried Matt to Andy. "Of
course all these cracks at rival concerns are meant for us. He wants
to draw the crowd away from us."
"More than that, he is trying to scare them, so that if they won't
patronize him they won't purchase anywhere," returned the senior
partner. "It is certainly not a fair way to do."
"Can't we stop, him, Andy?"
"I don't see how. He has mentioned no names."
Andy began to talk, but as he was inside of the store while Gissem was
outside, very few of the people on the street were attracted. They
made several sales to those inside, but after the purchasers were gone
the store was empty. In the meantime, the next place was filled to
overflowing.
"Let us give them a tune," suggested Matt. "I see our rivals have no
musical instruments."
He brought out a banjo, and Andy took up the largest accordion in the
place. Sitting down in a spot from which the music could float out of
the door, they played several of their best selections.
The music pleased many people. They stopped listening to Gissem, and
after some hesitation several came in. More followed, and seeing this,
Matt and Andy kept on until the store was once more filled.
Then Matt began to talk. He made no wild statements, but in an earnest
manner told what they had to sell, and asked those around him to
examine the goods carefully.
"That fellow next door said to beware of rival concerns," remarked a
man in the crowd slyly, and several smiled at the words.
"Well, I take it that people are bright enough to know what they are
doing," returned Matt. "We are too busy to talk about our neighbors.
We are here to show what we have and sell goods--if we can. We do not
misrepresent, and if any one is dissatisfied with his purchase he can
return it and get his money back. Isn't that fair enough?"
"I reckon it is."
"We carry a large stock, as you can see, and we sell everything for
what it is."
"Let me see those spoons, will you?" questioned a man standing beside
the one talking to Matt.
"Certainly, sir," and the young auctioneer handed over several
samples.
"Are these triple plated?"
"No, sir; they are single plated, on white metal."
"Then they are just as good as triple plated?"
"Almost as good, for ordinary wear. Here are some that are triple
plated."
"I know they are."
"Oh, you do."
"Yes, I know all about spoons, for I used to be in the plating
business. I only asked to see what you would say. That man next door
tried to sell my friend some single plated ones for triple plated. I
brought him in here to see what you had to say about your stock."
"Well, I have not misrepresented, have I?"
"No; you have told the exact truth. John, if you want any spoons, you
might as well buy them here, for I see they are put at a very
reasonable figure."
Upon this, the man who had first spoken began to pick out some of the
goods. What his friend had said had been heard by the crowd, who now
began to feel more like trusting in what the young auctioneers might
have to say.
Matt sold the spoons, and in the meantime Andy put up a number of
other articles at auction, and sold them at fairly good prices.
They managed to keep busy until two o'clock in the afternoon, when
trade fell off once more. Seeing this, Andy prepared to go out to
dinner. He had just put on his hat when Gissem, the rival auctioneer,
rushed in.
"See here, I want to talk to you two fellows!" he blustered.
"Well, what is it?" questioned Matt, as coolly as he could.
"You've been telling people I tried to stick a man on a lot of
tin-plated spoons, saying they were solid silver."
"Who said so?"
"Never mind who said so. Let me tell you I ain't going to stand such
work."
"Excuse me, sir, but we circulated no such story," interrupted Andy.
"We know enough to mind our own business."
"But they told me one or the other of you had said so. We won't stand
that--we'll have you arrested for--for defamation of character!"
stormed the rival auctioneer, working himself up into a fine pitch of
assumed indignation.
"We have said nothing concerning you," said Matt. "We have not even
advised people to beware of our rivals, nor have we mentioned your
stop in Bethlehem, and how the folks of that town regarded your
doings there," he went on pointedly.
"What--what do you mean?" stammered Gissem, taken by surprise.
"I mean just what I infer. We know how people there were swindled, and
we know how anxious some of them are to lay hands on a certain firm of
auctioneers."
"Have a care, boy, or I'll--I'll----"
"What will you do?"
"Never mind; you'll see fast enough."
"You cannot bully me. Now that you have taken the trouble to come in
here, let me tell you something. You just cast several reflections
upon our characters. That has got to be stopped."
"Humph! Why, you are but a boy and dare talk to me."
"Never mind, he knows what he is saying," put in Andy. "We are not to
be mistreated by rivals or by any one else."
"Don't talk to me!" snapped Gissem, and unable to keep up the talk
with credit to himself, he fled from the store.
"I don't think he will dare to bother us again," said Andy. "He is too
much afraid to have his past record raked up."
Andy went off to dinner, leaving Matt in sole charge. The snow had
cleared away, but it was still cold, and to keep himself warm, Matt
went to the rear of the establishment and got his overcoat. He was
just putting on the garment when a noise near the show-window
attracted his attention. He ran forward, and saw that a thin stream of
water was coming down through the boards of the ceiling. The water was
splashing on some of the stock, and unless it was speedily checked it
would do a good bit of damage.
Matt knew that the upper part of the building was not occupied. In the
rear of the store was a door leading to the back hallway, and through
this he ran and started to go upstairs.
As he did so, somebody started to come down. It was the boy who worked
for the rival auctioneers.