"Your attention for a few moments, gentlemen," called out Bart as there
was a hustle on the part of the audience getting together the mass of
stuff they had bought. "All the unclaimed heavy express matter at
Pleasantville was burned up in the fire of July third, but some twenty
small parcels were in the safe, and those we will now dispose of."
"Money, jewelry, and such, I suppose?" propounded Lawyer Stebbings, who
loaned money at a high rate of interest.
"We make no such representations," responded Bart. "I will say this,
that no money packages are among the lot. There may be valuable papers,
there may be jewelry--in fact, some of the parcels have a given value up
to two hundred dollars--but the express company guarantees nothing and
you bid at your own risk."
"Good! let's have a sample," demanded Stebbings. "Can I examine? Ah,
thanks."
The crowd passed from hand to hand a small well-wrapped package.
"Watch!" hoarsely whispered someone.
"Feels like it!" said a second.
Stebbings bid the lot up to four dollars and got it. There was more fun
as he unrolled the numerous wrappings of the package to disclose a small
metal disc used in a threshing machine.
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