'm goin'
to put you wise--yes, sir, wise to somethin' I wouldn't let every Tom,
Dick, and Harry in on, by a consider'ble sight. I think I can locate a
fair-sized block of that stock at--well, at a little bit underneath the
market price. I believe--yes, sir, I believe I can get it for you at--at
as low as eighteen dollars a share. I won't swear I can, of course, but
I MAY be able to. Only you'll have to promise not to tell anybody how
you got it."

"Eighteen dollars a share? Is that a fair price, do you think, Mr.
Pulcifer?"

"FAIR price?" Mr. Pulcifer was overcome by the absurdity of the
question. "A fair price!" he repeated. "Man alive, it's a darned LOW
price! You buy Wellmouth Development at that price and then set back and
hang on. Yes, sir, that's all you'll have to do, just hang on and wait."

To his surprise, Mr. Bangs seemed to find something humorous in this
suggestion. Instead of appearing thrilled, as he certainly should, he
smiled.

"Ah--yes," he observed, quietly. "That is what my friend has been doing,
I believe. Yes, indeed, just that."

Raish did not smile. He looked puzzled and a bit perturbed.

"What friend?" he demanded. "Been doin' what?"

"Hanging on and waiting, as you advise, Mr. Pulcifer. She has
had--ah--several shares of the Development stock and she--"

"Hold on! Did you come here to SELL somebody's stock for 'em?"

"Why, no, not exactly. But, as I say, a friend of mine has some and she
was anxious to know what it was worth at the present time. When I tell
her that you will give eighteen dollars a share for it--"

"Here!" Raish's smile and his urbanity had vanished. "Here," he
demanded, "what are you talkin' about? Who the devil said anything about
my givin' eighteen dollars a share?"

"Why, I understood you to say that the--ah--shares were cheap at that
figure, that it was a very low price for them. You did say that, didn't
you?"

Mr. Pulcifer seemed to find articulation difficult. He blew and
sputtered like a stranded porpoise and his face became redder than ever,
but he did not answer the question.

"I understood--" began Galusha, again, but a roar interrupted him.

"Aw, you understand too darn much," shouted Raish. "You go back and tell
Martha Phipps I say I don't know what them shares of hers are worth
and I don't care. You tell her I don't want to buy 'em and I don't know
anybody that does. Yes, and you tell her that if I did know anybody that
was fool enough to bid one