The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-26
CHAPTER, xyII.-continued.

CHAPTER xYII.-Continued
II shan't call 'em cottages" said
Tenants don't like the word cottage.
Houses! Hill Side Houses, ell z"
ooh, call them cottages, sir" Jack
pleaded. "If you begin with houses
for these. you'll have to call the others
castles"
well. there's something In that
too said Crunden doubtfully.
After a long but amicable debate
Mr.. Crunden allowed himself to be
overiuled on all points. Tho cottages
were called cottages, and were num-
bered-Hill Side Cottages. to 90
And in II little while all but three OF
them were occup ed by the best class
Of cottage tenants
This was pleasant enough; but be-
fore very long Mr.. Crunden had to
face two more disappointment. The
man who had taken Lot 3. and of whom
much was hoped, disclosed himself az
q man of straw. An unsightly rooflesa
carcass was thrown on Mr.. Crunden's
hands. Carcasses cannot be left about
on building estate; probably or not
you must convert them into weather.
tight. rooted. and glazed houses: aban :
doned as derelict, they proclaim the
story of failure, and Will, scare away
the boldest spectators. MIR. Crunden
grunted shrugged his shoulders, and
manfu!ly set TO work to turn the scar
ing carcass into fifth Turing decoy.
Then came the ignominious collapse
of Mr.. Parrot. Eft tn, Brute! In a
moment one saw plainly the straw
bulgIng and protruding. He was as
completely man of straw as any eff1gy
of his landlord on last Guy Fawkes
day
He had allowed st. Valentines feast
to pass without beginning to build.
Midsummer was near before he cut
the turf, brought bricks upon the
ground. and slowly laid down concrete
and set his footlngs for the three new
rows of cottages. On the Sd of July,
when he was about ten courses high,
the bill which he had given to his
brickmaker was dishonored, and he
came up to Kings Cottage to ask for
money. Tie mornings post had al
ready sounded the well-known note
OF alarm. In regard to j. r. Parrot
wrote this man of straw's timber mcr-
chant, I'VE are prepared to deliver Inn
medately on the understanding. as we
have already been given to understand.
that you are guaranteeing the account;
but before doing so shall be glad TO
have your confirmation of the same.
There was nothing for 1t but to take
over the newly started cottages. Rath-
er than lose time and incur costs in
recovery by law, Crundcn paid off Par
rots score for bricks, etc.-bought
out Parrot. and even gave him some
thing for himself, to be rid of him
y, 1.p, ,te..,
given Parrot a prodigious kick behind.
TO speed him from the land and knock
the straw out of him.
pointment stoically.
81 saw it coming" he said to Jack.
There was no surprise in it. I've seen
it coming quite plain last few weeks
And he grunted, squared his shout
ders. and took up the new work. I'm
finished cottages cannot be left about
on 4 success building estate. One
must keep moving: nothing must
stand still. Upon the hiss. his
rivals were moving fast The com
pany had cleared the ground along
their outside frontage. had marked
out and even fenced their plots.
and these outside sties-with tho
unbroken view over the golf links,
! Liz rlIlC tiiC sacNh AHa 1SSA
ling woods--were going off like hot
cakes.
The staff was increased again: the
yard was so full now that it over
flowed. The master was now as busy
as in the old days when he had six
or seven solid contracts on hand. But
of couse there must be a limit to this
sort Of thing. Mr.. Crundens scheme
had been to get others to build all
over the land, not to bull all over 1t
himself
CHAPTER XVIII.
Nearly a year had passed and the
warm summer weather was coming
round again. Tho big map on the wall
at Kings Cottage had many new red
patches on jt-nearly a dozen-to
mark the progress of the months The
red paint showed steady. but some
what slow. progress, with which MI.
Crunden always professed himself sat
istied
1T would have been an easier and
quicker task to paint their map for
the London and Suburban Trust. inc
company, lending money to anybody
who asked for it, with boundless cap
ital behind them-other peoples CAPT
tai. sacks OF 1t. TO waste IL they chose
--.ll, ld performed what looked like mira
cles. Ther whole ten acres had been
prepared In one block--thc last tree
root grubbed out, roads smoothed by
steam-rollers. paths neatly paved and
gravelled, Iamp-posts set up. fences
placed throughout, names of the new
roads on large enamelled plaques glar-
Ing at one from every corner. Tl1nt
was how the company developed an
stata-bang, all together. at one blow
Perhaps 1t might not be sound husi-
ness but II they lost here, they would
gain elsewhere. Should they droF
money at Medford, they could pick II
up far away at Willesden, Peckham
Bromley. Washing one hand with an
other, the companys arms stretched
across four counties,
TO Medford cit aens 1t seemed that
the company possessed an Alnddin's
lamp. When they rubbed the lamp
one rubbed ones eyes in wonder
Houses rose In a single night. The
common frontage was all filled; pro
fusel% gabled. red-tiled village was at
vancing from tho common and every
day 1T seemed to draw nearer to Hill
Rise and Nh. Crunden's boundary,
During this perioas whilc the minut'
est trace OF his old home was he'nf
.,hltta.atpI Mr. .Inok Vincent had OatJ