The Tupelo journal., 1910-11-11

BUYING A
PLACE
The Price Went Very High,
Then Dropped
By LUCY K. WYNKOOP
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
By LUCY x. WYNKooP
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

A young man pulling a BOAT on Z
New England lake rested on his oars
before a plank landing. on which stood
a young woman evidently waiting for
something.
BEG pardon" he said to her. "is
there a road behind those houses up
there leading down to the railroad sta
ton at r~arkville?"
"Yes. there IS" was the reply.
The young man gaped about him az
though interested in the lay of the
land. He was really interested in the
girl, who was quite comely. He was
to ask her In order to keep up q con.
%versation.
"Can you tell me who occupies that
white house up on that crest?" be ask
ed.
"Dr. E%gerton."
There was another pause. The re-
plies were SO exactly to the point that
they did not invite any furher ques-
tioning. However, the young man was
not to be dropped.
I'm looking for a place like that on
this lake." he said. II wonder If it
could be bought"
Il suppose there's hardly a piece of
property in the world that cannot be
bought if the purchaser Is willing to
give a large enough price,"
i've looked over all these New Eng
land lakes with a view to buying a
summer residence. and | like this bit
of water better than any of them. My
mother and sister won't go to hotels.
and | don't like them myself. We
wish a place where we can go as soon
as spring opens and stay till late in
the autumn
The young lady evinced no interest
in the young mans family plans and
made no reply.
THAT place up there would suit us
exactly" he continued. Il would like
to spend all the rest of my summers
there. The view must be fine"
There would be no harm in your
trying to buy it." said the girl. You
might write Il note TO the owner ask
Ing if any sum you would he prepared
to pay would be accepted"
THANK you very much for the sug-
gestion."
AT that moment there were sounds OF
Elotorboat engine explosions. and a,
launch was seen making for the land
ing. 1t soon pulled up there under care
Of Il single boatinan. The young lady
got aboard and. without so much as a
look at the oarsman. was carried away.
Mighty fine looking girl" be said
to himself-"welI but plainly dressed
and with an air of being somebody
] wonder who she is"
Jack Aborn was an enormously
wealthy young man. having Inherited
the bulk of his fathers property, and
was accustomed to having anything
money could buy that be desired.
There was something unique in the
'Egerton place that struck bis fancy.
He couldn't very well build such a
place. To begin with, he couldn't get
the site: her it would require half a
century to grow the trees. Besides.
there was an old fashioned look about
the whole place that could not be I'M
itated. AS the young lady had said.
there would be no harm In trying to
buy 1t, and he resolved to drop the
owner a note asking if be would con-
slider an offer.
He did so and received a reply writ
ten in a woman's hand as follows:
DR.. Egerton desires me to acknowledge
the receipt of your note asking if an offer
for this place will be considered and to
say that it has been in the Egerton fam
lily so many years that there Is at pres
ent no intention on the part of the own-
err to sell It.. However. the doctor would
like to know what it would bring. Yours
truly. SARAH H. MCCARTHY.
Secretary.
Aborn was sufficiently versed in
business methods to waste no further
time in correspondence: he called upon
DR.. Egerton for a conference. He
was received by Miss Mccarthy. a
middle aged lady. who told him that
the doctor had gone to the city. but
that she 1.-THE secretary had charge OF
such business matters as required at
tention in the doctors absence and had
power to act. Aborn asked what the
property would bring If offered openly
for sale. and Miss Mccarthy said she
thought it would easily sell for $4,000.
Whcreupon Aborn made an offer of
$4,000 fer it. The secretary said that
she would transmit the offer to her
principal and would write him.
In due time a note came to Aborn
stating briefly that his offer would not
be accepted. He was quite ready to
raise 1t. but did not like dealing through
a third party. He called again on the
doctor. but was again disappointed at
not seeing him. The doctor was at
horne. but very busy. Aborn left word
with the secretary that he would raise
his bid to $4,000.
A reply to this came to him that
astonished him. 1t was this:
DR.. Egerton desires me to inform Mr.,
Aborn that. inquiries having been made
As to his financial standing and his abil-
ity to pay for any purchase he might
make, the responses are perfectly salts
factory. But the doctor has also been
informed that Mr.. Aborn is one Of those
vofnp men who having inherited large