g the next day Matt noticed two sharp-eyed men hanging around the
place a good deal. At first he paid no attention to them, but at last
pointed them out to Andy.

"Yes, I noticed them myself," returned the senior partner. "They do
not look as if they wanted to buy, but just as if they were spying."

"Supposing I call them in and ask them to buy?" suggested Matt, for
both of the men were at that moment gazing in the window at the
articles displayed there.

"Certainly, you can do that if you want to," returned Andy.

So Matt walked from behind the counter toward the door, but before he
could reach it one of the men saw him and spoke to his companion, and
both hurried up the street and around the nearest corner.

"Humph! that's queer, to say the least," said the young auctioneer,
and Andy agreed with him.

There had been a "To Let" bill upon the show-window of the vacant
store next door, but on the following morning when the young
auctioneers opened up they found the bill gone. The door of the store
was open, and inside a boy somewhat younger than Matt was cleaning
up.

"Hullo!" cried Matt, stopping short. Then he poked his head in at the
door and confronted the boy.

"So we are going to have neighbors, eh?" he remarked pleasantly.

"Bet your life!" was the slangy reply from the boy, as soon as he had
noted who had addressed him. "You didn't expect us, did you?"

"No, I didn't know the store was taken until a moment ago," said
Matt.

"Well, it can't be helped. It was the only store vacant in the
neighborhood."

"Can't be helped?" repeated Matt, somewhat puzzled. "What do you
mean?"

"Oh, I thought you might object to our opening up alongside of you."

"I don't see why I should. What business are you in?"

"Same line."

Matt was taken aback somewhat by this unexpected reply, and his face
showed it.

"Do you mean to say you are going to open an auction store here?"

"That's it, and we are going to make it everlastingly warm for you
fellows, too," went on the boy triumphantly. "We've been a-watching
how you run things, and we are going to scoop every bit of trade when
we get started."

Matt drew a long breath. Here was certainly a new experience. He and
Andy had expected to encounter rivals, but had never dreamed of
having them at such close quarters.

"Well, I suppose we will have to stand it," he said, hardly knowing
how else to reply to the boy's bragging statement.

"If I was you I'd pack up a