The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-07-10
Doctor
Egerton
Story of the Purchase
of a Country
Place
By JAMES BRAINARD

A young man pulling a boat on a
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, SIS
there road behind those houses up
there leading down to the railroad sta
ton at Parkville?"
Eyes, there is" was the reply.
The young man gazed about him as
though interested in the lay of the land.
He was really interested In the girl,
who was quite comely. He was trying
to think Of some other question to ask
her in order to keep up a conversation.
"Can you tell me who occupies that
white house up on that crestY he
asked.
''Dr. Egerton."
There was another pause. The re-
plies were so exactly to the point that
they did not invite any further ques-
honing However, the young man was
not to be dropped.
Pm looking for 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 large enough price,"
I've looked over all these New Eng
land lakes with 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
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. II 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 note to the owner asking
If any sum you would be prepared to
pay would be accepted"
THANK you very much for the sug-
gestion."
At that moment there were sounds
Of motorboat engine explosions, and
launch was seen making for the land
ing. 1t soon pulled up there under care
Of single boatman. The young lady
get aboard and without so much as a
look at the oarsman was carried away.
Mighty fine looking GIRL" he said to
himself, "well 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 he desired. There
was something unique in the Egerton
place that struck his fancy. He couldn't
very well build such place. To begin
with, he couldn't get the site; then it
would require half century to grow
the trees. Besides, there was an old
fashioned look about the whole place
that could not be initiated As the
young lady had said, there would be no
harm in trying to buy it, and he re-
solved to drop the owner a note asking
If he would consider an offer.
He did so and received a reply writ
ten In woman's hand as follows:
DR.. Egerton desires me to acknowledge
the receipt of your note asking II an offer
for this place will be considered and to
say that 1t has been in the Egerton fam
lily SO many years that there is at pres
ent no intention on the part of the own
er to sell it. However, the doctor would
like to Lnow what 1t 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 (the
secretary had charge of such business
matters as required attention 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 Where
upon Aborn made an offer Of $4,000
for it. The secretary said that she
would transmit the offer to her princi-
pal 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 it, 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
! home, 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 as
tonished 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
young men who. having inherited large
means, think they can acquire anything
they fancy. Surely there is no property
without price, but the price on the Eyer
ton place is IN proportion to Mr.. Aborns
enormous fortune. 1t is enormously high
Yours truly. SARAH H. MCCARTHY.
Aborn was not only astonished at this
reply; he was mad. At first he deter
mined to drop the matter in contemp-
Guous silence, but he was too irritated
to do this. Besides, he was curious to
discover what sort Of man this doctor
was who would go so far out Of his
way to insult a man whose only fault
was a desire to possess the Egerton
homestead. He determined to make
one more effort to see him. He called,
but again was obliged to be content
with seeing the secretary, the doctor
having again gone to the city on i'm
portant business.
'Ts this DOCTOR" he asked in an irri-
tated tone, "a regularly educated ply
stefan or quack?"
''Dr. Egerton is something higher
than even q regularly educated physi-
clan. The doctors title is doctor of
philosophy"
What then, does he do for a nv-
ingT
1.-THE doctor is a sociologist."
"Oh, see; has something to do with
the running of the town charities
"City charities principally"
II know man who has such posi-
ton, but he doesn't get much Of sal
ary."
To this there was no response.
well" continued Aborn, 81 wish you
would tell this sociologist that he'd
better cut out his degree till he has
learned to treat his fellow men with
proper civility. had a perfect right to
inquire whether he would sell his
place and was led to believe that an