how is business?"

"Very good," returned Matt, and not without pardonable pride.

"Then you are not ready to take me in as a partner yet?"

"Not quite; my friend and I can run the business very well without
outside help."

"But you might make more money with me in the firm," went on Paul
Barberry persistently.

"We haven't room for a third person."

"Where are you stopping now?"

"We haven't a place yet. My partner and I have just started to look
for an empty store."

"Oh, then you are going to stay several days or a week."

"Yes."

"Where were you last?"

"Across the river."

"Do pretty well in Phillipsburg?"

"We did very well--until we began to run out of goods."

"I couldn't do anything in Phillipsburg," grumbled Paul Barberry.
"It's only a one-horse place, anyway. So you ran out of goods there?"

"We ran out of some goods--our best sellers."

"Why don't you send for more goods?"

"We have sent, and we are expecting the cases at any moment at the
Phillipsburg freight depot."

"Where is your horse and wagon?"

"Tied up at the depot over there," and to avoid being questioned
further, Matt began to move off.

"I think I can get a good store for you," went on Barberry, catching
him by the arm.

"Thank you, but I would prefer to do my own hunting," returned the
young auctioneer, still more coolly.

"Don't want anything to do with me, eh?" retorted the corn salve
vender angrily.

"I don't want you to take your valuable time in transacting my
business," returned Matt, and off he hurried, before Barberry could
offer any reply.

"He and his partner are mighty independent chaps," grumbled the
pretended doctor, as he gazed after Matt, with a scowl on his face. "I
suppose he thinks himself above me because he has a horse and wagon.
Well, maybe he won't be any better off than I am some day."

And, in far from a good humor, Paul Barberry resumed the sale of his
so-styled wonderful corn cure, a preparation, by the way, which was of
no value as a remedial agent.

Matt walked along for several blocks without running across any empty
stores that would be suitable for holding sales. Most of the places
were too small, and others were in out-of-the-way corners, to which
it would be next to impossible to attract a crowd.

At the appointed time he walked to the spot where he was to meet Andy.
His partner was waiting for him, a smile resting on his pleasant
face.

"Any luck, Matt?" he asked.

"None