Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/267

Rh This impression was confirmed when the owner walked to the map and drew a red cross on the rest of the lots in the block containing Carstair's purchase of the day before.

"I think you ought to protect your investment with the adjoining lots," he had said to Carstair. "I'll just reserve them for a few days until you can make up your mind." But to the bystanders it looked as though the St. Paul banker had actually extended his purchase. The effect was immediate. A buzz of conversation broke out. Several who had been hesitating made up their minds. Marcus Oberman sidled up and laid a forefinger on the block next that apparently purchased by Carstair.

"How mooch dose lots?" he asked.

Shortly he came back, breathing heavily, having purchased a half block.

"You bed your life Chimmy Carstair he knows," he said.

They drifted out eventually, chaffing each other good-naturedly. The owner, watching from his inside office, called in one of the younger men.

"See that old cuss that went out?" he asked. "Well, did you notice the gang he was with? All right. The Dutchman has half of Block E, and the little fellow with the sandy moustache has all of Block C. The Dutchman is Marcus Oberman, the brewer; and the little fellow is Charley Saxon. You look up the Judge and sick him on them. Tell him to buy back one or the other of their holdings; I don't care which. Tell him to offer four hundred per lot; but to raise 'em to five or six, if he has to. Get busy."

So it happened that Marcus Oberman sold half his lots that evening at the same price he had given for all of them. The purchaser was a very eminent looking jurist, who was a fine testimonial to the Banksia Height's owner's ability to pick types. It was the brewer's turn to crow; and he took full advantage of it in a ponderous fashion. Everybody in the dining room, the lobby and the bar heard all about it. The rumour quickly spread that "Banksia" is selling on the outside.

Just for curiosity, he told himself, Boyd drifted around to the real estate office the following morning. The place was