Jerry jingled the small change in his pocket. His entire wealth at the moment was forty-seven cents, hardly enough to buy either a usual or unusual item. He noticed that Mr. Bullfinch looked less calm and dignified than usual. There was a gleam of excitement in his eyes, an intensity in his voice. Jerry could tell that Mr. Bullfinch felt the same about auctions as Jerry did about going to baseball games out at Griffith Stadium.
Folding chairs had been set up in the middle of the big room where the auction was being held. Furniture and stuff was jammed all around, even at the back of the platform where the auctioneer stood. He was a thick-set, big-mouthed man wearing a blue and red plaid sport shirt.
"That's Jim Bean. He always puts on a good show," said Mr. Bullfinch.
As Mr. Bullfinch and Jerry took seats in the back row, the auctioneer was holding up a table lamp.
"Now here is something really beautiful," he was saying in a slightly hoarse yet persuasive voice. "This lamp has a base of real Chinese porcelain. Old Chinese porcelain and that's the most valuable, as all of you here know. Probably should be in a museum. Shade's a bit worn but it's easy enough to get one of those. Now I hope I'm going to hear a starting bid of ten for this exquisite piece of antique Chinese porcelain. Worth every cent of fifty or more but I'm willing to start it at ten."
"One dollar," said Mr. Bullfinch.
"That bid," said the auctioneer, "was too low for me to hear."
"Two," snapped a lady in the front row.
A man two seats to the left of Jerry held up a finger.
"Three I'm bid. Who will make it five?" said Mr. Bean.