“Did Livius rise to the bait?” asked the scholar.
“Did he!” chuckled Average Jones. “He’s been nervous as a cat all day and hardly has looked at the library. But what puzzles me is this.” He exhibited a telegram from New York.
“Millington says positively no book of that time and description any great value. Enderby at Barclay auction in March and made row over some book which he missed because it was put up out of turn in catalogue. Barclay auctioneer thinks it was one of Percival privately bound books 1680-1703. An anonymous book of Percival library, De Meritis Librorum Britannorum, was sold to Colonel Graeme for $47, a good price. When do I get in on this?
“(Signed), ROBERT BERTRAM.”
“I know that treatise,” said Warren. “It isn’t particularly rare.”
Average Jones stared at the telegram in silence. Finally he drawled: “There are—er—books and—er—books—and—er—things in books. Wait here for me.”
Three hours later he reappeared with collar wilted, but spirits elate, and abruptly announced:
“Warren, I’m a cobbler.”
“A what?”
“A cobbler. Mend your boots, you know.”