All naturally supposed that at most only two ships were to be built, and each was extremely eager to get the work, or at least one of the two vessels.
On the day before the contracts were to be let, all the bidders were in Cleveland on the invitation of Mr.Mather.One by one they were taken into his private office for special conference covering all the details preparatory to the final bid.

At the appointed hour the bids were in.

Deep was the interest on the part of all the gentlemen as to who would be the lucky one to draw the prize.

Mr.Mather's manner had convinced each that somehow he himself must be the favoured bidder, yet when he came to meet his competitors in the hotel lobby the beams of satisfaction which plainly emanated from their faces also compelled many heart searchings.
At last the crucial hour came, and at about the same moment each gentleman received a little note from Mr.Mather, conveying to him the tidings that to him had been awarded a contract sufficient to supply his works to their utmost capacity.

They all rushed with a common impulse to the hotel lobby where they had been accustomed to meet, each bent on displaying his note and commiserating his unsuccessful rivals, only to discover that each had a contract for all he could do, and that each had been actually bidding against nobody but himself.
Great was the hilarity which covered their chagrin when they met and compared notes and looked into each others' faces.