sir, what can I do for you?" asked the man of Matt.

"If you are not too busy I would like to show you some goods which are
both good and very cheap," returned Matt, as easily as he could, and
without waiting for a reply he unrolled his package of samples, and
placed them upon the desk.

"And is that what you called me downstairs for?" cried the proprietor
of the restaurant, in a rage. "Make me throw down a good hand at cards
just to look at a lot of tin knives and forks! You peddlers are
getting more bold every day. The police ought to sit down on every one
of you!"

"I am sorry if I disturbed your leisure," returned Matt, as mildly as
he could. "But, I thought----"

"You thought you would just like to cheat me into buying a lot of your
trash," finished the restaurant proprietor. "Well, you can't do
anything of the kind, and you can take that for your impudence!"

And hastily gathering up the package of samples, the restaurant keeper
walked to the open doorway and flung knives, forks and spoons into the
muddy gutter!

CHAPTER XII.

MATT STANDS UP FOR HIMSELF.

It was evident, by the self-satisfied look upon the restaurant-keeper's
face, that the hot-tempered man supposed that he had done a very
smart thing in thus disposing of Matt's wares by throwing the bundle
into the muddy gutter of the street.

"Now pick up your goods and skip out!" he cried, as he turned to the
boy. "And the next time you be careful how you disturb folks when they
are trying to take it a little easy!"

For the instant Matt was stupefied, and stood still, hardly moving a
muscle.

Then the boy's natural temper arose to the surface, and for the moment
he felt as if he must fly at the man and pound him in the face just as
hard as he could. His face grew first red and then deadly pale. The
man saw the change in his countenance, saw the fire flash in the boy's
eyes, and stopped short just as he was about to repeat his injunction
to leave the establishment.

"You are a--a brute!" exclaimed Matt, stepping forward with clinched
fists.

"What's that?" cried the restaurant-keeper, so loudly that several
customers and a number of the waiters gathered round to learn the
cause of the trouble.

"I say you are a brute!" repeated Matt, undaunted by the fierce look
the restaurant-keeper had assumed. "If you did not wish to buy from me
you could have said so. There was no need for you to throw my goods in
the gutter."

"Shut up and cl