Page:The Young Auctioneers.djvu/61

Rh "Can you play the musical instruments?" asked Matt.

"I can play the accordion—not very well, but enough to show the instrument off."

"I can play the banjo, and also the harmonica. You had better lay in a stock of mouth harmonicas."

"I certainly will if you can play them. They will sell readily if they are shown off. It is good you can play the banjo. We can play that and the accordion whenever we want to open up, and thus attract a crowd. Some use a bell, but music, even when it is poor, is better. Sometimes I used to sing a comic song or two for old Gulligan when we were on the road, but I didn't much care to do it."

"No, I wouldn't like that," said Matt.

"Gulligan sold lots of what are called 'fake' goods," went on Andrew Dilks. "But my intention is to sell honest goods and sell them for just what they are. We will perhaps not 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