The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-04

MAY said BIackie cordially. "Jina
 has been telling me about
 the reckless imagination
 you've brought into the firm, and aa soon as Toad Jessop takes your meas
 ure we'll sign them papers. Come on
 and educate me in ant1ques furniture
 I'm to be the sales person.
 They went into the dim old roons and became better known to each oth. CT amid the hoary antiquities deposit ed there b5 William ]. Shuvit, and by nightfaH they were so we'll acquaint, ed that Paul stopped whatever he was doing every time Blackde, started te say anything.
 That day had been unproductive, though the place had been overrun with collectors who were willing ko bankrupt themselves on a Hoppendale highboy or a Ting1etower table, but staggered faintIy away on the uItf- matum of alIAor none.
 About 9 o'clock the next morning. however, Paul hustled back to WaIling- ford, who was having fun with the preparation of a frog leg pie and took down his overcoat.
 If you don't need me I think I'll run into town to my boarding house and pack up," he suggested.
 "All right agreed Wallingford, opening the oven door to test the heat. Whats your hurry?"
 Your buyers here,1 explained Paul briskly 'tJust judging him from the few hundred thousand dollars that are hungry for company and are not par ticular about their associates.''
 As I7 hfs coat. Wallingferd strOi1ed into the front room in graveIy preoccupied fashion and found there In furtive in. spection of the surroundings a one eyed man whose broad mouth and heavily wrinkled cheeks suggested that he would feel more natural with a knife between his teeth.
 'I know but very little about such. things" BlacIde was saying as Wal lingford entered, .sand. in fact, MT WaIlingford is equally ignorant of old furniture! He only knows that this is a very valuable collection and bought it on speculation. MT Wallingford. this is Aar. Day, who has come to look at the Bunker collection
 Tt is very fine collection Wal grave1y assured him. My business agent will give you every op- portunity to examine it, and feel sure that. if you are a judge of such things. you will be ready to talk busi- ness when you are through.
 ''Wen. I don't know,'.s speculated MT. Day. his one keen eye rowing to the clock and to the what not and to the ceiling. tI hear that this old Jonathan Bunker was queer case"
 ssHe was rather an eccentric charac- ter, believe agreed Wallingford.
 Heard he. was miser," went on Mir. Day. his greedy eye straying into the heavy black desk and to the book case and to the padded chairs.
 stI think that report was greatly ex- aggerated, 2, returned WaIingford, with } smile. sThe town went crazy over finding a few odd coins scattered about the grounds, and I discovered a few gold pieces in the cellar; but, come 3o sift it down, don't believe there ] was more than $500 hidden all told ['ve made some inqut, s, and can't ind where Bunker could have obtain ed any money to hide.'
 MT. Days anxious eye returned from ! rowing voyage into the visible DOT jon of the dining room. "I suppose lot." be acquiesced .sYour man tells me 7ou ain't regular furniture aealer'
 "Hardly,'' laughed Wallingford. 1 This is my first offense. don't know 1 my more about furniture than cat Ioes about building nest in tree. 1
 only bought this place to oblige a 1 riend. MT. Daw, I'm afraid I shall | nave to leave MT. Day entirely in your lands. I have some business in town"
 After WaIlingford had gone B1ackie Af. e vriting a letter and begged MT. Dayjl o conduct his own tour of inspection or awhile. He went upstairs to write is letter and instead looked down into he library through hole which had cen conveniently bored in the elab- rate plaster centerpiece of the hang ng lamp.
 MT. Days first action. on being left lone, was to walk through all the ooms downstairs, to make sure that hey were vacant; then he returned asti1y to the library and pulled out he dra wers Of the old desk. one by ne,. feeling into the vacant drawer paces with his eye upturned in a ainfuIIy. hopeful squint. At last he ave grunt of satisfaction as he drew orth small inner dra awer from the ase of the desk, behind the longer nes, and Blackie, whose tread was as ght as a cats. arrived in the door Of le library just as MT. Day was about replace the receptacle.
 what have you found there?" de landed the stern Blackie. advancing wiftly- into the room and taking it .om him. A secret drawer. by eorget'
 'sYes," acknowledged Mir Day, look lg him squarely in the eye with his : nc orb and betraying no embarrass-