n--sign this!"

"Drop that pen!" thundered Mr. Gordon, and Miss Hope let it fall as
though it had burned her fingers. "I'll give you fifteen thousand
dollars," he said more gently.

Fluss looked at Blosser who nodded.

"Seventeen thousand," he shrieked, as though the sisters were deaf.
"Seventeen I tell you, seventeen thousand!"

"Twenty," said Mr. Gordon cheerfully.

Miss Charity suddenly found her voice.

"I think we'd better sell to Mr. Gordon," she announced quietly.

CHAPTER XXIV

UNCLE DICK'S BUYER

Miss Hope, who had been wringing her hands, bewildered and hopelessly
at sea, hailed this concrete suggestion with visible relief.

"All right, Sister, I think so, too," she agreed, glad for once not
to have to make the decision. "You're sure you are not cheating
yourself, Mr. Gordon, by paying us twenty thousand dollars?"

Mr. Gordon, who had strolled over to the door leading into the hall,
assured her that he was well-satisfied with his bargain.

"Well, we'll be going," muttered Blosser. "All this comes from trying
to do business with women. You had as good as passed us your word
that you'd sell to us, and see what's happened. However, women don't
know nothing about ethics. Come on, Fluss."

He was too disappointed and angry to notice the slip of his tongue,
but Fluss flushed a brick red.

"Just one minute," said Mr. Richard Gordon, blocking the doorway.
"You don't leave this place until you promise to produce that boy."

Blosser feigned ignorance, but the attempt deceived no one.

"What boy?" he blustered. "You seem bent on stirring up trouble,
Stranger."

"You know very well what boy," retorted Mr. Gordon evenly. "You'll
stir up something more than mere trouble if he isn't brought here
within a few minutes, or information given where we may find him.
Where is Bob Henderson?"

"Here, sir!" a blithe voice announced, and the door leading into a
communicating room was jerked open.

Bob, his clothing a bit the worse for wear, but apparently sound and
whole, stood there, brandishing a stout club.

"Oh, Bob!" Betty's cry quite drowned the exclamation of the aunts,
but Bob had no eye for any one but Blosser and Fluss, who were making
a wild attempt to get past Mr. Gordon.

"Have they bought the farm?" demanded the boy excitedly. "Did they
get my aunts to sign anything for them?"

"I'm your new landlord, Bob," announced Mr. Gordon, patting himself
on the chest. "Don't think you can put m