agements for the present. Hence the visit of Mrs. Courtney came
at just the critical time.

Polly and Eleanor were at the Ashby Shops a full hour before the lady
could be expected. But they put in the hour in going over the latest
samples of boudoir textiles, new ideas in furniture, and fascinating
designs of cushions, draperies and other accessories for a boudoir.

Mrs. Courtney was very frank and pleasant in her cordial greeting. For
all her fame as a social leader in New York and the fabulous wealth
accredited to her, she seemed very plain and friendly. Eleanor could not
help contrasting her with her mother and Barbara.

"Well, girls, how many millions of dollars have you made in your
profession since I saw you at that farce of a sale in New Jersey," said
she smilingly after they had seated themselves in the small reception
room.

"That _was_ too bad, wasn't it?" said Eleanor.

"We mean, it was too bad for that nice old auctioneer to be used by the
city man as he certainly was. We met old Mr. Van Styne before that sale,
you know, and he was so honest!" said Polly.

"So I learned. But I was annoyed at the city man's methods of getting his
regular customers so far from the city in order to make money out of
them; I went down to his office and told him very plainly what I thought
of such trickery as he had played on me. He apologised in every way when
he learned that I would never buy another thing of him; but I knew his
apologies were the result of his fear of losing a good customer. I told
him frankly that I would not accept his regrets. I have heard from him
several times since then, but I have paid no attention to his requests to
allow him to explain the circumstance which ended in that sale in the
country.

"I did take time to write to this Mr. Van Styne, however, and ask for the
truth, as I did not want to condemn the city man if there might be
extenuating reasons for the sale. The old man in Morristown answered that
he had been used as an instrument in the padded sale. He had known
nothing of the manner in which the antiques had been brought from the
City and placed in the house, until afterward. He had sent letters to his
clientele who favored him with confidence, and many were at that sale,
much to his discomfiture when he learned the truth.

"Mr. Van Styne added that he had taken the trouble to find out from a few
of his trusting customers that the articles they had purchased at that
sale, and which w