what I said."

Eldon hung on for some time, but finally ordered a dozen pieces to
be sent home, and paid the bill, though with a bad grace. Still, he
was so angry with Lladd because he had shown a proper resentment at
the effort made to overreach him, that he determined to buy no more
of his goods if he could supply himself at a higher price. Thus
matters went on for five or six months, Eldon supplying himself at
the store of Miller, and reconciling himself to the serious advance
in price, with the reflection that Lladd's goods were remaining dead
on his hands.

At last, Miller's supply was exhausted. Eldon called, one day, and
ordered a dozen pieces, and received for answer--

"Not a piece in the store."

"What? All gone?" said Eldon.

"Yes, you got the last some days ago."

"I'm sorry for that. Lladd has a good stock on hand, but I don't
care about dealing with him, if I can help it. He's a crusty sort of
a fellow. Has no other house a supply?"

"Not to my knowledge. There is only a limited demand for the
article, you know, and but few importers care about ordering it, for
the reason that it goes off slowly."

Eldon tried several places, but couldn't find a yard. By the next
day, his workmen would be idle; and so he had no alternative but to
call upon Lladd. The merchant received him pleasantly; and they
chatted for a while on matters and things in general. At last Eldon,
though it went against the grain, said--

"I want you to send me twenty pieces of those goods around, with the
bill."

The merchant smiled blandly and replied--

"Sorry I can't accommodate you. But I haven't a yard in the store."

"What?" Lladd looked blank.

"No. I have sold off the entire lot, and concluded not to import any
more of that class of goods."

"Ah? I supposed they were still on hand."

"No, I placed them in the hands of Miller, and he has worked them
all off for me at a considerable advance on former prices. He
notified me, a week ago, that the lot was closed out, and rendered
account sales at twelve and a half per piece."

Lladd said all this seemingly unconscious that every word he was
uttering fell like a blow upon his old customer. But he understood
it all very well, and had caught the hard bargain maker in a trap he
little dreamed had been laid for his feet.

Eldon stammered out some half coherent responses, and took his
departure with more evidences of his discomfiture in his face and
manner than he wished