ow these folks. I wish you'd see what you can do."

"Glad to," Scattergood promised, and two days later he reported that all
four landowners might be brought to terms. Three would sell, surely; one
was holding back strangely, but the three had put the matter into the
hands of a local real-estate and insurance broker, by name Wangen.
"We'll go see him," said Scattergood.

Which they did. "My clients," said Wangen, importantly, "realize the
value of their property. That, I may say, is why they bought."

"It cost the three of 'em less 'n three thousand dollars for the three
passels," said Scattergood.

"Prices have gone up," said Wangen.

"Give them two hundred dollars profit apiece," said McKettrick.

"Consid'able difference between givin' it and their takin' it," said
Scattergood. "I agree with that," said Wangen.

"Now, Wangen, you and me has done consid'able business," said
Scattergood, "and you hain't goin' to hold up a friend of mine."

"If it was a personal thing, Mr. Baines; but I've got to do my best for
my clients."

"What's your proposition?"

"Five thousand dollars apiece for the three strips."

"It's an outrage," roared McKettrick. "I'll never be robbed like that."

"Take it," said Wangen, "or leave it."

"You've _got_ to have it," Scattergood whispered.

McKettrick spluttered and stormed and pleaded, but Wangen was firm and
gave but one answer. There could be but one result: McKettrick wrote a
check for fifteen thousand dollars--and still had one strip to buy--a
strip not at an edge of his mill site, but bisecting it.

This strip caused the worry when Scattergood needed attention distracted
the most. But Scattergood managed finally to secure it for McKettrick
for seventy-five hundred dollars. Thus it will be seen how Scattergood
resorted to the law of necessity, and how McKettrick suffered from
failure to build securely his commercial structure from its foundation.
Twenty-two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars were paid by
McKettrick for land that had cost Scattergood exactly three thousand six
hundred dollars. Scattergood believed in always paying for services
rendered, so Wangen and each of the four ostensible landowners were
given a hundred dollars. Net profit to Scattergood, eighteen thousand
one hundred and fifty dollars.

"Which it wouldn't 'a' cost him if he hadn't looked sneerin' at my
stockin' feet," said Scattergood to Johnnie Bones.

Johnnie Bones prepared the papers for the