“Here,” he called to his assistant, “put up that golden-haired goddess.”
Appreciating the situation, the man set the wax dummy upon the platform.
“Here you are!” cried the auctioneer. “What am I bid for this lovely lady? Though slightly marred in the face, she has a good heart, and is warranted good-tempered and kind. What am I bid?”
Dick hesitated; now that the time had come he felt suddenly shy, and felt uncertain how much to offer.
“Ten cents!” came a voice from another part of the room. Then Dick felt that he was really in the business at last, and he called out sturdily:
“Fifteen!”
“Fifteen,” echoed the auctioneer. “Fifteen! do I hear any more? Only fifteen cents for this beautiful work of art?”
“Twenty!” called the other voice, and for some reason the auctioneer scowled.
“Twenty!” he cried; “twenty? Do I hear twenty-five?”
“Twenty-five!” cried Dick, his face all aglow with the excitement of the moment.