now. If there was any likelihood of this being the case, I
think Miss Bartlett would have written to that effect."

"What do you intend to do?"

"I am going to write to her again, telling her just how matters stand
with me, and ask her if she thinks it will do any good for me to come
on. If she thinks it will, I'll try to manage it some way to take a
run to New York."

"You can do that whenever you wish, Matt. I will take care of things
the same as you did when I was gone."

On the way to the stable where the wagon and Billy were located they
talked the matter over at a greater length. Andy took a warm personal
interest in the matter, and did not hesitate to say so.

"If this Fenton swindled your father, I trust you are able to prove it
and get your money back," he said. "I don't know of any one that
deserves money more than you do."

The wagon was soon driven around to the store, and the goods unloaded.
Then the show-window and the shelves were arranged to attract the eye,
after which Andy hung out the red flag, which now began to look to the
young auctioneers like an old friend.

As soon as everything was in shape for business Matt brought out
paper, pen and ink, and set to work upon the letter to Ida Bartlett.
At first he hardly knew how to express himself, but before he had
finished he had filled eight pages, and told the young lady exactly
how matters stood. He begged for her further assistance, and assured
her that she should not lose through her kindness to him.

The letter finished, Matt did not place it in a letter-box, but
marched with it to the post-office, that it might be included with the
first out-going New York mail.

"If I only could find father," he sighed to himself as he turned back
to the store. "Something in my heart tells me that he is not dead, and
yet, if this is so, where can he be?"

On arriving at the store he found Andy already busy with a crowd which
had begun to collect the moment that the red flag was hung out. Matt
had to begin work at once, and this was a good thing for the boy, for
it kept him from brooding over his parent's possible fate and thus
growing melancholy.

"If I am any kind of a judge, we are going to do the best business yet
at this city," said Andy, as there came a little lull in trade. "It
started off briskly, and it has kept on steadily ever since."

"Well, that just suits me," laughed Matt. "To my way of thinking we
cannot do too much business."

Durin