The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-08
TIE EVENING STORY
A Real Estate Deal.


| sold sWamp-lot-IotS under water
| lots on a side-hill, lots down in a hole
| or anywhere else he could. 1t was said
| that he was a sharp man. There were
five hundred of his victims that said so.
| They also said that he was swindler.
but they say that of almost every real
estate man.
The real crook in this case was Mr..
| Blake's clerk and stenographer and as
| sistant named William Pell. He had
| sought the place because he saw the
| advantages it offered a crook. He in
| tended to swindle the swindler if he
could. as we'll as other people. His de-
| signs were so we'll concealed that no
one mistrusted him. Even his employ
| er. who boosted that he could read
| mems souls as we'll as sell tWo-hun-
! dred-dollar lot for four hundred dollars
| to an immigrant just landed, trusted
| him to the limit.
| Miss Irene Beacon was twenty years
| old when she was taken with fit. 1t
| did not seize her all of sudden. For
| three years she had been thinking of
acquiring piece of real estate down
on Long Island and building a bunga-
| low. This fit has come to a million or
so of New Workers during the last five
years. and is sooner or later followed
by what may be called a counterfeit.
That is, they get the land, build the
bungalow and after inhabiting it for
one season they offer to sell at half
price.
The only reason Miss Irene didn't
have a bungalow among the pines and
near the shore of frothing Long Island
Sound with several million mosquitoes
to make her nights Joyful, was because
she didn't have what the worldly call
the ''scads.''
She continued not toshave them am
til an uncle died and left her ten thou
sand big dollars. She hadn't hadathe
money in her hands a full day when
she was telephoning real estate men.
Mr.. Blake was one of them. He was
advertising bungalow lots on the shores
of the Sound. He was charging no
more for them than lots on the crest
of the Rocky mountains.
There were the pines to whisper in
the breeze, the wavelets to lap the
beach, the white-caps to dash wildly to
and fro, the sights of wrecks and drown
ing sailors from her sitting room win
dOWs. And there were no flies nor f1eas
Thunder storms We're of rare occur
rence-just often enough to keep down
the humidity. No Sunday school pic
earth numbered with ginger ale bottles
and torn copies Of THE Christian at
Work" Good sailing, good boating,
good fishing and the neighbOrs fairly
begged you to borrow everything you
ate and not pay anything back!
Mr. Blake would be wounded and
cast down and Inundated if any one
wanting a bungalow lot applied to the
family doctor. Come right straight to
him for your lot. He had them from
an acre in extent down to what you
could cover with a bed sheet, and each
was lace trimmed and gilt edged.
Miss Irene Beacon was soon in con-
sultation with Mr.. Blake. She had a
father, a mother and a brother, but
none of them could advise her. She
Ia H.
wanted them to suit her own ideas
not theirs. There might be rascals in
the real estate business, but the one
that picked her up for a novice would
soon discover his mistake. She had
bought shoes and dresses and hats. and
she felt herself perfectly competent to
da bile in real estate.
Mr.. Blake had maps showing his lots
These maps also showed other lots
lots belonging to other people. He was
so liberal in his dealing that he offered
to sell lot that had been sold and
built on several years before. His mot |
to was quick sales and then let the |
buyer find the property-if he could.
Heroic and persistent efforts were
made to sell the bungalow girl a lot |
unseen, but they awaited nothing. |
There were tears of humiliation and |
grief in Mr.. Blake's eyes when she pos |
itively refused to hand over her check !
until she had seen the property with |
her own eyes. That was where Mr. |
William Pell came in. That was where |
he had come in before 1t would be !
his duty and his pleasure to take Miss |
Irene in a carriage to view lots u. II i
and "a. and let her see the beauties |
and advantages of them; also to real |
lie what bargains were being offered !
her. Lot "a had a bungalow already |
built on it If it suited her. and there |
were nine chances in ten that it would |
she could move in next day.
1t did not make any difference to |
Mr. Blake that the site was owned /
by Mr.. Robert Ashley, and that he !
had had the bungalow built for his |
widowed mother and sister 1t had /
just been completed. and was to be |
occupied three days hence. In MAX |
ing out the deed Mr.. Blake could sub
stitute one of his swamp lots. The |
swindle would be discovered in time, |
of course.
Mr.. Pell had waited for three years |
to make a scoop-to get away with a |
bundle of Doodle. He would have
robbed his employer if he could, but
had been too closely watched. Here
was young lady with $4,000 back |
of her He would make her his prey.
His plans were formed in ten minutes.
He couldn't benefit by a sale.
While the bungalow was a bargain
at the price asked, he would try to !