time to hear Tim's astonishing bid. She could not see him for the crowd
in front of her, but she could make him hear, and her voice was shrill
and decided as she called out, "Timothy Biggs! Be you crazy? and where
are you to get your dollar, I'd like to know!"

"Tell mother to mind her business! I know what I'm about!" Tim said to
some one near him, while Mr. Bills rang the changes on that dollar with
astonishing volubility, and Tom kept his eyes on Jack for a signal to
raise.

Jack was taken by surprise, but readily understood that it was Howard
against whom he had to contend and not Tim.

"All right, old chap," he whispered, then looked full at Tom, who, eager
as a young race horse, shouted a dollar and a half!

"All right," Jack said again, and turned to Eloise on whose face there
was now some color, as she began to share in the general excitement
pervading the room and finding vent in laughter and cheers when Tom's
bid was raised to two dollars by Tim, and two and a quarter was as
quickly shrieked by Tom. Everybody now understood the contest and
watched it breathlessly, a great roar going up when Tim lost his head
and mistaking a slight movement of Howard's hand on his arm, raised his
own bid from three dollars to three and a half!

"That's right," Mr. Bills said; "you know a thing or two. We are getting
well under way. Never enjoyed myself so well in my life. Three and a
half! three and a half! Who says four?"

"I do," Tom yelled, his yell nearly drowned by the cheers of the
spectators, some of whom climbed on chairs and tables to look at Tom and
Tim standing, one next to Howard and the other next to Jack, with Eloise
the central figure, her ermine cape thrown back, and drops of sweat upon
her forehead and around her mouth.

She almost felt as if it were herself Howard and Jack were contending
for instead of her apron, which Mr. Bills was waving in the air like a
flag, with a feeling that he had nearly exhausted his vocabulary and
didn't know what next to say. Four dollars was a great deal for an
apron, he knew, but he kept on ringing the changes on the four
dollars,--a measly price for so fine an article, and for so good a cause
as a Public Library. And while he talked and repeated his _going,
going_, faster and faster, Tim stood like a hound on a leash fretting
for a sign to raise.

"You ain't goin' to be beat by Tom Walker, be you?" he said, in a
whisper to Howard, who gave him a little squeeze, with th