d
receipted it, and then counted the five one dollar bills Mrs. Fabian had
paid him. "Ten per cent fer me and the rest for Sally," he added as he
rolled fifty cents inside four one dollar bills and pocketed the other
fifty cents.

Mrs. Fabian was about to go for the pictures, when Polly came out. "I
want to ask the auctioneer how much this little box and mirror are?" and
she showed a lovely little Empire dressing-mirror to him. It was
scratched and had been varnished, but its former beauty could be quickly
restored, for the form and material were good as ever.

"I'm told that is a real antique. That piece come from the old Revere
place, too. Mrs. Dolan says she heard it was used by the boy's
grandmother. But I don't know what to charge."

"I'll give you ten dollars for it," eagerly said Polly.

"Ten dollars!" gasped the man, sinking back in his desk-chair.

Mrs. Fabian tried to signal Polly, but the girl was too intent on
securing the gem. Then Mrs. Fabian said to the man:

"Dear me! The child has more money than brains, eh?" and laughed
heartily.

"I ain't so sure about that. She certainly knows a good thing," returned
Mr. Van Styne. Then he said to Polly: "Will you carry it right along with
you, if I sell it for ten?"

"Of course!" declared she, and the sale was made.

"I guess we'd better be going, Polly," suggested Mrs. Fabian, now. This
told the girl that the deal over the pictures had been consummated, but
she did not ask questions then.

Mrs. Fabian went back to gather up her four precious pictures, and had
the other girls help her carry them away. Then they bid the good old man
good-by and started off.

"Come again, when you have more time to poke around," said he, as he
stood on the doorstep watching them walk towards the car which was
waiting a short distance down the street.

"We certainly will, and if you get anything really antique in the place
at any time, drop me word, or telephone to the address I left on your
desk, just now," said Mrs. Fabian.

Once the hunters were safely on the way to New York, the girls importuned
Mrs. Fabian to tell them the story of the pictures, but she laughingly
remarked:

"Do you know, we forgot all about our luncheon! Poor Carl must be
famished!"

"Not much," retorted Carl. "I went to that quick lunch-room across from
the old junk-shop, and got the best dinner for forty cents that I ever
tasted. But we will stop for a picnic, when we reach the country, if y