make as much, but people will
be better pleased, and they will not want to run us out of town if we
ever go back to the same place again."

"I am with you there," said Matt heartily. "I was afraid you might
want to palm off a lot of trash for first-class goods and I didn't
want to be a party to any such transaction."

They continued to talk the subject over for fully an hour, and by
that time both understood each other thoroughly, and had decided, if
Matt could raise the necessary cash, to go into the scheme without
delay.

"You see, we ought to do all the traveling possible before cold
weather sets in," said Andrew Dilks. "It is in the villages where the
most money is to be made, especially now, when the farmers are about
done harvesting and have some ready cash."

"As I am out of work, I can start the moment I get the money," said
Matt. "And even if I don't get that other money, I am willing to put
in every cent of what I have now."

On the following morning Matt was surprised to receive another visit
from Ida Bartlett, who had eaten an unusually early breakfast so that
she might come over before going to work.

"I knew you would be anxious to hear from me," she said. "It is all
right. The others are willing to let you have the money for a year at
the regular bank interest, three per cent."

"Thank you, and I'll try to pay it back before the year is out,"
returned Matt, much relieved.

"And you have arranged to go into the scheme? It is all satisfactory?"

"Yes."

"Good! I wish you every success."

CHAPTER VIII.

AN UNEXPECTED SET-BACK.

The next three days were busy ones for Matt and his newly-made
partner. After they had drawn up and signed such papers as they deemed
proper between themselves, they set out to look for a horse and
wagon.

Andrew Dilks had cut several advertisements of bargains from the
morning papers, and these they hunted up one after another.

The so-styled bargains proved to be more or less false. In nearly
every instance they ran across some shrewd horse-dealer, who, under
pretense of selling an outfit for a widow, or man who had left the
city, tried to palm off on them an animal and wagon not worth taking
away.

Late in the afternoon, however, when they were almost ready to give up
and go to a regular dealer, they ran across a German baker who was
selling out at a private sale.

"I vos go to Chermany next veek," he explained to the two. "Mine old
fadder vos dead,