gate-leg table."

Peter Gruff had been so thunderstruck at the Colonel's correct guess
that he had stood open-mouthed, staring, and without a word he had
placed the candlesticks on the shelf and began rubbing his hands
together in great agitation.

The old furniture dealer was tricky, and Bet wondered now what he was
prying around the shop for.

"You won't need that back room, will you? Maybe you'll let me store
some things here." He started toward the rear.

"Oh, we are going to use all the rooms. Shirley Williams is going to
have a photographic shop in the back room. Maybe you'll want your
picture taken when we open for business."

The old man started and a look of fear came into his eyes. "What would
I want a picture for?" he snarled, watching Bet anxiously, for the last
time that Peter Gruff had been photographed was by the police, and that
episode he wished forgotten.

"Come in and have a cup of cocoa with us, Mr. Gruff," invited Shirley.

"Oh yes," insisted Bet. "Here take this chair!" The girls had led him
into the back room, where the young people greeted the old man joyously.

He took the proffered cup, accepted sandwiches and a good helping of
chicken and didn't stop until he had eaten greedily all that was passed
him, smacking his lips at each bite.

Joy and Kit got to laughing at the shocking table manners of the old
man and had to leave the room.

When he was finally satisfied he began, "Don't think of handling
antiques. No money in them. Once upon a time," the old man started
again, "one could buy a wagon load of them for a dollar and sell maybe
one old chair for fifty dollars. Then it was worth while to handle
antiques. Why many a time I've started out with my wagon full of pots
and pans and dishes, and exchanged a new platter that cost me
twenty-five cents for a dish that I finally sold for twenty-five
dollars."

No one spoke for a moment. They felt shocked at the old man's method
of working. But he did not notice and went on.

"All the old farmers' wives wanted things up to date and so they just
gave away the old things that had been in the family for a hundred
years and got some shiny new stuff."

Joy and Kit interrupted the conversation by exclaiming: "Oh Bet I think
that paint is dry enough so we can put the covering in the show window.
Come and see!"

And old Peter Gruff rose with the others, after helping himself to
three more sandwiches which he put in his pocket.