Part 18 (2/2)

”Two hundred thousand,” he returned, making a conservative guess at the amount they must have paid for the two options.

A deepening of the quinine expression told him that he had undershot the mark.

”Two hundred and ten thousand,” he quickly amended.

A chocolate-cream expression struggled feebly with the quinine; and Johnny, who could translate the lines of the human countenance into dollars and cents with great accuracy, knew instantly that their two options had cost them thirty thousand dollars, and that he was offering the four ladies a profit of one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars'

worth of gowns or diamonds each.

”That will be the most I can give,” he still further amended. ”I am prepared to write you a check at any moment.”

”I think I can call a meeting at once,” she informed him, and did so by telephone.

Mrs. Sheats, who came over presently, was an angular woman who kept the expression of her mouth persistently sweet, no matter what her state of mind might be; and she was very glad indeed that, so long as Miss Purry insisted on permitting a building of any sort to be erected opposite the Slosher residence, they were protecting that estimable lady in her absence by insuring a structure of dignity and cla.s.s.

Mrs. Kettle, who was a placid lady of mature flesh and many teeth, and who carried ounces upon ounces of diamonds without visible effort, bewailed the innovation that Miss Purry was forcing on them, but felt a righteous glow that, under the circ.u.mstances, they were doing so n.o.bly on behalf of Mrs. Slosher.

Mrs. Mason, who was a little, dry, jerky woman whose skin creaked when she rubbed it, whose voice scratched and whose whole personality suggested the rasp of saw-filing, was in her own confession actuated by less affectionate motives.

”I'm glad of it!” she snapped. ”Mrs. Slosher is always talking about their superb river view and the general superiority of the Slosher location, the Slosher residence, the Slosher everything! I'm glad of it!”

The other ladies felt that Mrs. Mason was very catty.

At four o'clock that afternoon Johnny entered in his book:

”May third. To seven hours--nine hours behind schedule--$35,000. To Purry speculation, $210,000.”

To offset this was:

”May third. To a chance, $0.”

CHAPTER XI

IN WHICH JOHNNY EXECUTES SOME EXCEEDINGLY RAPID BUSINESS DEALS

Sitting tight and watching the hands of his watch go round, with a deficit of five thousand dollars an hour piling up against him, was as hard work as Johnny Gamble had ever done; and yet he knew that, if he succ.u.mbed to impatience and went to the De Luxe Apartments Company before they came to him, he would relinquish a fifty per cent, advantage. He saw another day slipping past him, with a total deficit of sixteen hours behind his schedule--or an appalling shortage of eighty thousand dollars--when, at one o'clock on Thursday, the expected happened--and a brisk little man, with a mustache which would have been highly luxuriant if he had not kept it bitten off as closely as he could reach it, dropped in, inquired for Loring, jerked a chair as close to him as he could get it and said, in one breath: ”Want to sell your river-view property?”

”Certainly,” replied Loring, in whose name the property stood. ”Mr.

Gamble is handling that for me. Mr. Chase, Mr. Gamble.”

Mr. Chase, holding to his chair, jumped up, hurried over to Johnny and once more jerked the chair close up.

”How much do you want for it?” he asked.

”Two hundred and seventy-five thousand.”

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