Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-22
Cher1Ib
Devine
By
SEWELL FORD

golf bags in their hands. Others were
followed by boys carrying kit bags.
Hello, Cherubi They got after you
today, Ell? Planning how to get even,
are you?"
Mr.. Devine showed no resentment.
Maybe 1 was" said he.
Bulkins snorted out a mirthless
laugh.
Good. Sic 'em. my boy! That's
what I'd do. When they think they've
got me beat worst bob up and go at
'em hardest. But, say, you ought to
take a rest once in awhile. Does a
man good You ought He grinned
broadly. '0h, I say, Cherub," drop
ping his tone, I've got just the thing
you ought to have-a country place"
YES" Mr.. DeTine acknowledged
the joke by clicking half an inch of
cigar ash on the window ledge.
You bet. Bulkins was smoothing
Cherub's coat sleeve. Its Hewing-
ton Acres-up on the sound-gilt edged
suburban property, and going dirt
cheap on foreclosure You know
about the Hewingtons; swell family,
but gone all to smash financially.
Now. there's twenty acres OF park
along the water, nice little forty room
cottage
''OnIy forty?'
with stables, lodge house, garden
er's shack and the like. It's fully fur
nished and goes as it stands, even to
the servants If you want them. Just
the place for a family man like you"
And Bulkins snorted fresh apprecia-
ton of his own humor, winking
roguishly at an astonished brokers'
clerk who happened to be passing.
Mr.. Devine seemed to have missed
the joke.
How muchY' he asked. his gaze
sttn fixed on the stone steps opposite.
Receivers would take 100000, but
it's worth double. That's as sure as
I'm standing here. 1 tell you, Cherub,
that property
III take it" said the Cherub.
"Eh? Bulkins' pendulous under lip
was sagging away from his yellow
teeth.
II said I'd take it at sixty. What
do you want to bind the bargain-ten
thousand? Fifteen? Well, call It if
teen" And before that under lip OF
Bulkins' had stihened he was holding
CherubS check in his hands.
Observed Bulkins afterward when
he had mentally added his commission
to his bank account and recovered
from his surprise: Now. some men
would have been six months turning
unload it on the first sucker 1 meet,
-,
of a place like Hewington Acres is
more n I can sect"
Apparently Cherub had no immedi-
ate use for it since he allowed three
weeks to elapse without referring to
the transaction, except to toss the deed
over to a clerk and tell him to have it
recorded. He seemed to forget all
about it until one Friday afternoon
when he found himself with "clos-
ing Saturday, Sunday and an en-
suing Monday holiday on his hands.
Better come with me for a run into
the Berkshires, Cherub. and help me
Try out nay new machine" urged Will
ston, one of the Chicago crowd"
whose hobby was buying another and
more expensive touring car every
month or so.
Thanks, but guess I'm about due
put at my place on the sound"
"Wha-a-at! You don't mean to say
you've set up country establish
nentf" And Willston gave him an in
-redulous look.
''Dfdn'tahave to-bought it all stand
ing. Haven't seen it yet It's out
well, say, blamed If know just where
It is. Boy, ring up Bulktns, real es-
later
Having summoned Bulkins to the
other end-of the wire, Mr. Devine pro-