“Somehow that d-d-don’t sound jest right to me,” says Mark. “It’s kind of uncertain. I think we ought to know jest what you’ll p-p-pay.”

“Well,” says Dwight, “I couldn’t offer you as much to-day as I might be able to get for you. I’ve got to be safe. I couldn’t set a price and then sell at a loss. You’d get more by waiting.”

“Maybe so,” says Mark, “but I’d rather you m-made an offer.”

Dwight sort of hesitated a little and hemmed and hawed, but pretty soon he told Mark what he could pay for each kind of goods.

“Um!...” says Mark. “That the b-best you can do?”

“It’s the best the market will allow me to offer.”

“Market’s crowded, eh?”

“Badly.”

“With bowls in special?” says Mark.

“Yes,” says Dwight.