Part 77 (1/2)

”Eh?” he queried. ”Oh, yes--yes, of course. How do you do, Mr.

Pulcifer?”

This placidity seemed to shut off Raish's breath for the moment, but it returned in full supply.

”How do I DO!” he repeated. ”Well, I ain't what you'd call fust-rate, I'd say. I'm pretty darn sick, if anybody should ask you. I've had enough to make me sick. Say, look here, Bangs! What kind of a game is this you've been puttin' over on me--hey?... Hey?”

”Game?... I--ah--pardon me, I don't know that I quite understand, Mr.

Pulcifer.”

”Don't you? Well, I don't understand neither. But I cal'late to pretty quick. What did Jeth Hallett mean last night by sayin' that he'd sold his four hundred Development a couple of months ago? What did he mean by it?”

Martha Phipps was about to speak. Cabot, too, leaned forward. But Galusha raised a protesting hand.

”Please,” he said. ”Mr. Pulcifer has a perfect right to ask. I have--ah--been expecting him to do so. Well, Mr. Pulcifer, I presume Captain Hallet meant that he had--ah--sold the stock.”

”He did? I want to know! And what did he mean by sayin' he'd sold it to YOU?”

Again Miss Phipps and Cousin Gussie seemed about to take a hand and again Galusha silenced them.

”If you please,” he begged. ”It is quite all right, really.... I suppose, Mr. Pulcifer, he meant that he had done just that. He did.

I--ah--bought his stock.”

”You did! YOU did? Say, what kind of a--Say, am I crazy or are you?”

”Oh, I am. Dear me, yes, Mr. Pulcifer. At all events, I purchased the stock from Captain Hallett. I bought Miss Phipps' shares at the same time.”

It took more than a trifle to ”stump” Raish Pulcifer. He was accustomed to boast that it did. But he had never been nearer to being stumped than at that moment.

”You--bought--” He puffed the words as a locomotive puffs smoke when leaving a station.

”Yes,” said Galusha, calmly, ”I bought both his and hers.”

”You did!... You did!... Well, by cripes! But--but why?”

”Because, I--ah--For reasons of my own, Mr. Pulcifer. Please pardon me if I do not go into that. I do not wish to appear rude, but the reasons are quite personal, really.”

”Personal!... Well, I'll be dummed if this ain't the nerviest piece of bra.s.s cheek ever I--Say, look here, Bangs! Why didn't you tell me you'd bought them shares? What did you--Why, you must have had 'em all the time I was offerin' you commissions for buyin' 'em. Hey? DID you have 'em then?”

”Why--ah--yes, I did.”

”And you never said nothin', but just let me talk! And--and how about this seance thing? You was the one put me up to making Marietta pretend to get messages from Jeth's wife tellin' him to sell his stock to me.

YOU done it. I'd never thought of it if you hadn't put the notion in my head. And--and all the time--Oh, by CRIPES!”

Again his agitation brought on a fit of incoherence. And he was not the only astonished person about that table. Galusha, however, was quite calm. He continued to fold and unfold his napkin.

”It may be,” he said, slowly, ”that I owe you an apology, Mr. Pulcifer.

I did deceive you, or, at least, I did not undeceive you.” He paused, sighed, and then added, with a twisted smile, ”I seem to have been a--ah--universal deceiver, as one might say. However, that is not material just now. I had what seemed to me good reasons for wis.h.i.+ng Captain Hallett to learn that Miss Hoag was not a genuine--ah--psychic.

It occurred to me that a mention of his late wife's wish to have him sell something he did not possess might accomplish that result. I misled you, of course, and I apologize, Mr. Pulcifer. I am sorry, but it seemed necessary to do so. Yes, quite.”

He ceased speaking. Martha drew a long breath. Mr. Cabot looked very much puzzled. Raish slowly shook his head. ”Well!” he began; tried again, but only succeeded in repeating the word. Then he blurted out his next question.