Ways of the World

The judge did not want to question the motives of the two clergymen, but the evidence led to only one conclusion. "Has there been any collusion between you gentlemen," he asked hesitantly, "in the preparation of these bids?"

The two clergymen--Dr. Howard W. Ferrin, president of the fundamentalist Providence (R.I.) Bible Institute, and Brother Bartholomew, representing the Order of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, in Woonsocket--were bidding for Edgewood Junior College on the palatial Frederick Peck estate in Barrington, R.I. That morning Dr. Ferrin had offered $250,000; Brother Bartholomew had topped it with $300,000. The judge had ordered that sealed bids be presented that afternoon. They were, and an astonished clerk read them out: for the Brothers, $331,000; for the institute, $331,001.

An explanation was due, and Dr. Ferrin made one out of court. He had talked it over with one of his own trustees. "I figured," said he, "that if we were going to stay in the bidding at all, we would have to go at least $325,000." Then he decided that the Brothers would probably reason the same way, and since they wanted to win, would probably raise it another $5,000. That would make their bid $330,000. But then the Brothers might suspect Dr. Ferrin of the same reasoning, and add another $1,000 to the bid to cinch it. Apparently having judged the Brothers correctly, Dr. Ferrin added another $1 to top them, bid $331,001, and won.

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