the New
Year.

II.

That year, however, was not a fortunate one for Rumble. His little
fund had dwindled. He had, as he thought, barely enough to conduct his
business to the time when he could legally have an auction. But how
was he to do this and pay his rent? That problem troubled him. It was
finally solved by the consent of his landlord, in consideration of a
high rate of interest, to wait for his rent until Rumble had his
auction. When this arrangement was made, the pawnbroker, who had been
gloomy for some time, again wore a cheerful look. His daughter had
advised him to pay his rent and curtail his business for the time
being; but that, he said, would never do; and when he had tided over
the crisis in his affairs, he went on distributing his money among the
people who brought him their old clothes and their all but worthless
jewellery.

From time to time pawnbrokers called on him and tried to persuade him
that his method of doing business was a mistake; that it was not only
hurting their business, but was ruining himself. Rumble was not
convinced. If his way of doing business took from the profits of other
pawnbrokers, they were only meeting with justice, he said; they had
made money enough out of the poor; he meant to treat his customers
better. He admitted that he might not get his money back from some of
his investments, but then the auction would make it all right; what he
lost in one way he would get back in another. He looked to the auction
as to a sort of Day of Judgment, when there would be a grand evening
of accounts.

At last the great day came--the day of the auction. Rumble was full of
the importance of the event, and had donned his best clothes in honor
of the occasion. He had advertised the auction in several newspapers,
and he expected a large attendance. He was somewhat disappointed when,
a little while before the time set for the sale, it began to rain; but
he hoped for the best.

When the auctioneer rapped on his desk and announced that he was about
to open the sale, there were not more than a dozen people in the room.
Among them Rumble recognized several pawnbrokers, and the others
looked as though they might belong to the same guild. He wondered why
they were there. Had they come to bid--to bid at his auction, on goods
on which he had loaned more money than they would have loaned? He did
not understand it.

When the sale began Rumble took a seat near the auctioneer and
watched the pr