CHAPTER XXII
BART STIRLING, AUCTIONEER
It was "busy times" at the little express office at Pleasantville.
Bart had made home and lunch in half the noon hour, and entered upon arenewal of his duties with a brisk hail to his subordinates andassistants, Darry and Bob Haven.
On that especial day the services of both had been required. They hadarranged to give their full time, and Bart noted that never were theremore industrious and enthusiastic colleagues.
There was the sound of active hammering as Bart entered the office,which Darry suspended long enough to remark:
"How's that for the audience?"
The office space proper containing the desk and the safe had been railedoff, the express stuff in and out packed conveniently in one corner,and thus three-quarters of the room was given up solely to therequirements of the day.
A dozen rough benches filled in half the space. Its other half, alsorailed off, held a heap of packages, bundles, boxes, barrels, a mass ofheterogeneous plunder, packed up neatly, and convenient for handling.
Beside it was a raised platform, and this in turn held a rough boardtable on which lay a home-made gavel, and beside this was a high deskholding a blank book and a tin box.
What was "coming off" was the much advertised unclaimed package sale ofthe express company.
Bart had followed out the instructions received from Mr. Leslie, thesuperintendent, when he first took charge of the office atPleasantville, and the sale and its details had been quite an element inhis life during the past three weeks.
The various small offices in the division had sent in their uncalled forexpress matter, and this was now grouped under the present roof.
Mr. Haven, an ex-editor, had written up a good "puff" for a local paper,inserted gratis an exciting comment and anticipation in reference to theimpending sale, and Darry and Bob had printed fifteen hundred dodgers ontheir home press, very neat and presentable in appearance, and thesehad been judiciously distributed for miles around, and posted up instores and depots.
Bart had heard nothing further from the Harringtons--not even the echoof a "thank you" had reached him. Pleasantville for a day or two hadbeen full of rumors as to the express robbery, but Bart decided to sayvery little about it, and only his intimate friends knew the actualcircumstances.
McCarthy, the night watchman, however, accidentally spread Bart's famein the right direction. He had a cousin working for the express companyin the city to whom he told the story. It got to the ears of thesuperintendent of the express company.
Bart received a letter from Mr. Leslie the next day, requiring acircumstantial report of the stolen trunk. He answered this and receiveda prompt reply, directing him thereafter to always report suchhappenings at once, but his zeal and shrewdness were heartily commended,and a check for twenty-five dollars for extra services was inclosed.
The twenty-five dollars Bart received was the nest egg of a fund beingsaved up for his father's benefit.
Mr. Stirling could now distinguish night from day, and in a few weeksthey intended to take him to an expert oculist in the city for specialtreatment.
Amid all this encouragement, Bart's life was filled with contentment andearnest endeavor, and he tried to deserve the good fortune that was hislot, and fulfill every duty thoroughly. About a week before the presenttime he had received a brief letter from his roustabout friend, Baker,dated from a town about fifty miles away, telling him that he had beenworking on a steady job, but had some business in Pleasantville in a fewdays, and asked Bart to write him as to the whereabouts of ColonelHarrington.
Bart had replied to this letter, wondering what mystery could possiblyconnect this homeless vagabond and the great ruling magnate ofPleasantville.
"Now then, my friends," said Bart briskly, as he saw to it thateverything was in order for the sale, "the motto for the hour is quickaction and cash on delivery!"
About two o'clock there were several arrivals. Half an hour later theplace was pretty well filled. There were several village storekeepers,some traveling men from the hotel, and railroad men off duty.
Nearly a dozen country rigs drove up to the platform, and the ruralpopulation was well represented.
At three o'clock prompt, as advertised, Bart ascended the littleplatform and took up the gavel.
Just then he nodded at a newcomer who entered the doorway and quietlytook a seat. It was Mr. Baker.
Bart was more pleased than surprised to see him. He had anticipated hisarrival the last two days.
Bart tapped the table to call the crowd to order and silence.
Then he looked again at the doorway, and this time with vivid interest.
He saw Lem Wacker shuffle into view, glance keenly around, fix his eyeon Baker, and steal into the room and sit down directly behind thatmysterious individual.