"Yes, sir, this is a real old piece of furniture, a real antique. Look at this, everybody--a chest of drawers, a highboy, some people call it, but it's pretty by any name. All of it is genuine mahogany trimmed with inlaid pieces of white wood. Start it up, somebody. What will you give for the finest thing we have here at this sale to-day? What's bid? Good! I'm bid five dollars to begin; shows you know a good thing when you see it. Five dollars--make it ten?" "Ten," answered Phares Eby. Phœbe gave a start of surprise as the preacher's voice came in answer to the entreaty of the auctioneer. "Phares," she whispered, "I didn't mean that I want to buy it." "I am buying it," he said calmly, an inscrutable smile in his eyes. "You like it, don't you?" She felt a vague uneasiness at his words, at the new sound of tenderness in his voice. "Yes, I like it, but----" "Then we'll talk about that some other day soon," he returned, and looked again at the busy auctioneer. "Ten dollars, ten, ten," came the eager call of the man on the box. "Who makes it fifteen? That's it--fifteen I have--sixteen, eighteen--twenty--twenty-five, thirty--thirty, thirty, come on, who makes it more? Not done yet? Not going for that little bit? Who makes it thirty-five?" "Thirty-five," said Phares. "Thirty-five," the auctioneer caught at the words. "That's the way to bid." "Thirty-eight," came a voice from the crowd. "Thirty-eight," the auctioneer smiled broadly at the bid. "Some person is going to get a fine antique--keep it up, the highest bidder gets it--thirty-eight----" "Forty," offered Phares. "Forty, forty dollars--I have forty dollars offered for the highboy--all done at forty----" There was a tense silence. "Forty dollars--all done at forty--last call--going--going--gone. Gone at forty dollars to Phares Eby." Phœbe turned to the preacher. "Did you bid just for the fun of bidding?" she asked. "Well," he replied slowly, "the cases are not exactly alike. You like the highboy, don't you?" "Yes--but what has that to do with it?" She looked up, but turned her head away quickly. What did he mean? Surely Phares was not given to foolishness or love-making to her! She was glad that he suggested moving to the edge of the crowd after his successful bidding was completed. There a welcome diversion came in the form of the old man who had previously amused them by his talk about the pewter plate. "There now, Eph," he was saying, "what do you think of paying forty dollars for that old chest of drawers? To be sure it's good and all the drawers work yet--I tried 'em before the sale commenced. But forty dollars--whew!"