“Then I’ll let you know by to-morrow night.”
“Very well,” answered John Peterson, and soon after this he left.
“Do you think that is a fair price, father?” asked Frank, after the visitor had departed.
“No, my son. But what shall I do?”
“Perhaps Andrew Benning will make a better offer.”
“Let us hope so.”
Early the next morning Frank went to the store and arranged the stock to the best possible advantage. He was just finishing the work when the rival dealer came in and began to look around.
Although Frank did not know it, Andrew Benning had, late the evening before, met John Peterson, and the rivals had talked over the matter of buying Mr. Hardy out, and reached an agreement by which neither was to outbid the other. If either got the place he was to divide the goods with the other and also the fixtures, and both were to settle jointly for the good will—and then each was to catch what customers he could as in the past.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do, and you can tell your father,” said Andrew Benning. “I’ll give him sixty per cent. of the value of his stock at wholesale and fifty dollars for his fixtures and good will.”
“Thank you, but my father can get more than that,” answered Frank, coldly.