well-worn black clothes, stood by
the door. Although his beardless pale face was the face of youth, it
was not free from the marks of care, and in his large lustrous dark
eyes there was a yearning look that spoke, as plainly as words, of
desires unfulfilled.

Dixon and Teague exchanged glances which as much as said, "here's
another customer for the pawnbroker."

"Is Miss Rumble in?" said the newcomer in a hesitating manner, as he
turned toward the old pawnbroker.

"You wouldn't have her out on such a night, would you, Mr. Maxwell?"
said Rumble, laughing. "She is in the sitting-room," he added,
pointing to the rear; "go right in."

But Maxwell did not go right in. He knocked lightly at the door, which
in a moment was opened by a young woman, whose girlish face and
willowy figure presented a vision of loveliness to those in the outer
room.

As Maxwell disappeared in the sitting-room, Dixon and his friend again
exchanged glances which showed that they had changed their opinion in
regard to the newcomer's relations with the pawnbroker.

"Well," asked Teague, "have the profits in this business met your
expectations?"

"I have not been in it long enough to tell, for I have not had an
auction," replied Rumble. "In one respect, however, I have been
disappointed. Very few articles on which I have loaned money have been
redeemed. I don't understand it."

"Perhaps you are too liberal with your customers," said Dixon.

"You would not have me be mean with them, would you?" answered Rumble.
"Why, you know they must be in very straitened circumstances to come
to me. If I took advantage of people's poverty, I would expect that
after their death all the old women who have pawned their shawls with
me would send their ghosts back to haunt me."

"Well, I never thought of that," murmured Dixon. "If their ghosts do
come back what very lively times some pawnbrokers must have!"

"But if your customers do not redeem their goods, how do you expect to
get your money back?" asked Teague.

"From auctions," replied the pawnbroker.

"Oh!" was Teague's response.

"You should have a good auctioneer," said Dixon.

"The goods will bring a fair return," replied Rumble quietly.

Although it was apparent that the pawnbroker had begun to mistrust his
methods of doing business, it was also evident that he had great faith
in auctions. He had attended auctions in his time and had bid on
articles, only to see them go beyond the length of his