“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 the words “Go easy,” spoken so low that Tim did not hear them, and at once raised the four dollars to four and a half, while quick as lightning Tom responded with five dollars.

Jack hadn’t really looked at him, but it did not matter.  He was going to have the apron, and turning to Howard he said, “I don’t know how long you mean to keep this thing up.  I am prepared to go on all night.”

Howard felt sure he was and decided to stop, and his hand dropped from Tim’s shoulder quite to the disgust of that young man, who said, “You goin’ to let ’em lick us?”

“I think I’ll have to,” Howard replied, while “Five dollars, and going!” filled the room until the final “Gone!” was spoken, and the people gave gasps of relief that it was over.