e and departed heavily laden. In
all directions people could be seen going away from the house, carrying
small articles of furniture--a clock, a water pitcher, a towel rack.
Every now and then old Miss Baker, who had gone below to see how things
were progressing, returned with reports of the foray.

"Mrs. Heise bought the chenille portieres. Mister Ryer made a bid for
your bed, but a man in a gray coat bid over him. It was knocked down for
three dollars and a half. The German shoe-maker on the next block
bought the stone pug dog. I saw our postman going away with a lot of the
pictures. Zerkow has come, on my word! the rags-bottles-sacks man; he's
buying lots; he bought all Doctor McTeague's gold tape and some of the
instruments. Maria's there too. That dentist on the corner took the
dental engine, and wanted to get the sign, the big gold tooth," and so
on and so on. Cruelest of all, however, at least to Trina, was when Miss
Baker herself began to buy, unable to resist a bargain. The last time
she came up she carried a bundle of the gay tidies that used to hang
over the chair backs.

"He offered them, three for a nickel," she explained to Trina, "and
I thought I'd spend just a quarter. You don't mind, now, do you, Mrs.
McTeague?"

"Why, no, of course not, Miss Baker," answered Trina, bravely.

"They'll look very pretty on some of my chairs," went on the little old
dressmaker, innocently. "See." She spread one of them on a chair back
for inspection. Trina's chin quivered.

"Oh, VERY pretty," she answered.

At length that dreadful day was over. The crowd dispersed. Even the
auctioneer went at last, and as he closed the door with a bang,
the reverberation that went through the suite gave evidence of its
emptiness.

"Come," said Trina to the dentist, "let's go down and look--take a last
look."

They went out of Miss Baker's room and descended to the floor below.
On the stairs, however, they were met by Old Grannis. In his hands
he carried a little package. Was it possible that he too had taken
advantage of their misfortunes to join in the raid upon the suite?

"I went in," he began, timidly, "for--for a few moments. This"--he
indicated the little package he carried--"this was put up. It was of no
value but to you. I--I ventured to bid it in. I thought perhaps"--his
hand went to his chin, "that you wouldn't mind; that--in fact, I bought
it for you--as a present. Will you take it?" He handed the package to
Trina an