. 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.

CHAPTER XXXV.

TOM INWOLD.

As soon as the boy saw Matt he stopped short, and then endeavored to