Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11

kSfTo1 nounced as his partner, Richard Nor
eS24g rill, entered the office.
well, you know what to tell him, -
returned Morrill, carelessy.
I've already told him that" said Sanborn,
Dut he's becoming impatient, and he wants de-
tails"
Morrill, hung up his hat and coat, opened his
desk, and settled himself comfortably in his
char before replying. Morrill, was the ingenious
and resourceful member of the real estate firm
OF Morrill, g. Sanborn, while Sanborn was the in
dustrious one. Morrill, made the plans and San
born did the work-that is, the laborious work.
Morrill, was quite ready to show piece of prop
erty to prospective purchaser especially # it
involved drive or any other advertisement, but
Sanborn attended to the correspondence and kept
the books. AS yet, the bookkeeping did not
take up much of his time. The firm had no bank
account and when a commission was secured it
was promptly divided between the partners.
They were not rolling in wealth
How does the matter stand?" asked Morrill,,
when finally seated.
'Well, you know he's been threatening to take
the property out of our hands for the last six
months" returned Sanborn "He can't sec why
it takes so long to sell it."
Impatient devil" remarked Morrill, lightly.
1t was difficult for him to take anythingcycn
his poverty-seriously
"Oh, his position is easily understood" said
Sanborn "There's no chance to blame him, for
he's having his own troubles. If the property
belonged to an individual, it would be different
thing, but it happens to represent the major
part of an estate, and the heirs want it sold so
that the estate be divided. And we've got
to sell it mighty sudden, we'll lose the only
decent commission we had chance to get.
I gave him that fairy tale of yours about Mas
sachusetts syndicate looking for Western site
for manufacturing plant, and it held him for
month or six weeks. I reported progress, and
that satisfied him for another month. I told
him the deal was practically closed, and he hung
or for six weeks more. But now he is decidedly
warm and insists upon details"
Give them to him." advised Morrill, easily.
'He wants to know the name Of the man rep.
resenting the syndicate and the nature of the
business"
Give them to him"
But don't know them"
Morrill, looked at his partner pityingly.
what would you do without me?" he asked.
''You have no originality at all. If left TO you,
we would have lost this property months ago.
Now. you take your pen in hand and tell this IN
quisitive and enjoying fellow that the man rep
resenting the syndicate is Horace Nlilbank, of
Birmingham, England; that he has a new car
brake; on which he has Just secured an American
patent; that, instead of selling his American
rights, he chose to interest some American capi-
talists, who happen to be Massachusetts men;
that they have slathers of money; that the de-
lay has been occasioned by the necessity of COM
municating with them in relation to numerous
details involving considerable correspondence;
that they prefer not to be known until the in
corporation, papers have been secured; that the
site has been verbally accepted, and the deal I'M
questionably will be closed within thirty days"
There world of admiration in the gaze
that Sanborn fixed on his partner.
"And just to make it convincing" the latter
added, as an afterthought, "you might tell Jim,
it he wants to communicate with Milbank direcu,
to address him at 31GS Dupage avenue. We have
a vacant furnished fiat there, and I'll just run
out there and put Mbank's card on the mail
box. Perhaps l may sleep there few nights
myself. In fact, I've already been up there once
or twice, when the circumstances were such that
| didn't care to face the proprietress of my
boarding house. One might as well make little
use of the property in his charge. you know
"Dick," Sanborn with conviction, you're sure
ly wonder when it comes to inventing lies.
He'll never go to the trouble of making inquiries
SO far away as Birmingham and I doubt if he
will even write to the address given. But it's
our last chance. Well have to sell that property
within thirty days"
"No trouble at ALL" returned Morrill,. "I have
some real people interested in it now. Why, if
we hadn't originated this lie when there was
nothing in sight. I'd just as soon tell him the
truth. But we can't afford to break off negotia-
tcns with that imaginary syndicate until we can
produce a genuine purchaser. All we need is a
little more time, and Horace Milbank, of Birn-
ingham, England, is good for that if he is man
aged properly. Thirty days will be more than
enough"
Thirty days was all the time that Morill had
needed at any given moment during the previous