Matt located the clothing shop without difficulty. It was quite well filled with customers, but he soon found the salesman who had served Andy, and this young man did not keep him waiting any longer than was absolutely necessary.
There were three overcoats which just fitted Matt, and he hesitated as to which to take. He tried them all on, but could not decide the question.
“I’ll take them to the daylight and examine them,” he said, and walked from the center of the store, which was lighted by gas, toward the show window.
Here he began to examine each overcoat critically. One was black, the other brown, and third a dark blue. Matt rather fancied the dark blue.
While he was handling over the dark-blue coat, the form of a ragged man darkened the side of the show window furthest from the door. With hardly a thought, Matt looked up to see who it was.
Then the heart of the young auctioneer seemed 296 to fairly stop beating. The ragged man on the pavement outside was his father!
With a sharp cry that startled every one in the establishment, Matt dashed down the garments he held and made a rush for the door. At the same moment the man outside, catching one glimpse of Matt’s face, put up both his hands to his forehead and sped up the street as if running for his life!
“What’s the matter with that young fellow?”
“What’s the matter with the man?”
“Say, come back here!”