Part 18 (1/2)

Collaton, though? How did he get into the deal? Suddenly Johnny remembered Val Russel's joking at the committee meeting. Gresham again!

”Loring, I don't think I can wait till June first to get after the scalps of Gresham and Collaton,” he declared as he prepared to go out.

”I want to soak them now.”

James Jameson-Guff, so christened by his wife, but more familiarly known among his a.s.sociates as Jim Guff, received Johnny with a frown when he understood his errand.

”You're too late,” he told Johnny. ”We've turned the option over to our wives to do with as they pleased. We're to have a swell yacht club out there now. I think that's a graft, too!”

”If you get stung again, Mr. Guff, let me know,” offered Johnny, ”and I'll have you a bona fide apartment-house proposition in short order.”

”Nyagh!” observed Mr. Guff.

Johnny dutifully reported to his score keeper the result of his errand and, that evening, to explain it more fully he went out to her house; but he found Gresham there and n.o.body had a very good time.

On the following morning he saw in the papers that the Royal Yacht Club, a new organization, the moving spirit of which was one Michael T.

O'Shaunessy, was to have magnificent headquarters on Riverside Drive--and he immediately went to see Mr. Guff. Mike O'Shaunessy was a notorious proprietor of road houses and ”clubs” of shady reputation, and there was no question as to what sort of place the Royal Yacht Club would be.

Mr. Guff was furious about it.

”I knew it,” he said. ”The women have just telephoned me an authorization to send for this Jacobs blackguard and buy back the option.”

”Jacobs?” inquired Johnny, ”Not Abraham Jacobs?”

”That's the one,” corroborated Guff. ”Why, do you know him?”

”He is a professional stinger,” Johnny admitted. ”He stung me, and Collaton helped.”

”I've no doubt of it,” responded Guff. ”It was a put-up job in the first place. By the way, Gamble, you used to be in partners.h.i.+p with Collaton yourself.”

”That's true enough,” admitted Johnny. ”Possibly I'd better give you some references.”

”Give them to the women,” retorted Guff.

An hour later Johnny telephoned Guff.

”Did you repurchase the option from Jacobs?” he inquired.

”Yes!” snapped Guff, and hung up.

The facts that the De Luxe Apartments Company was hot after the property and that he himself was now four hours behind his schedule, with nothing in sight, drove Johnny on, in spite of his dismal forebodings.

Mrs. Guff he found to be a hugely globular lady, with a globular nose, the lines on either side of which gave her perpetually an expression of having just taken quinine. In view of her recent experiences she was inclined to call the police the moment Johnny stated his errand, but he promptly referred her to some gentlemen of unimpeachable commercial standing; namely, Close, Courtney, Bouncer and Morton Washer. She coolly telephoned them in his presence and was satisfied.

”You must understand, however,” she said to him severely, ”the only way in which we will release this option is that nothing but a first-cla.s.s apartment-house, of not less than ten stories in height and with no suites of less than three thousand a year rental, shall be erected.”

”I'll sign an agreement to that effect,” he promptly promised.

”And how much do you offer us for the property?”