Evening star., 1921-08-21

mot yours. That Casey woman Is
driving me to distraction. I offer her
two hundred thousand for the piece
| what does she say?"
Ketchum arose and pressed his nose
almost against Brian's.
what does she say?" he repeated.
"Says she won't sell for a quintril-
lion dollars. Why? Because, for
sooth, she wants land to raise hens
on. Ye gods. it's sacrilege! To main-
| might be a national bank building!"
SO you're trying to smoke her
out?" inquired Brian, lighting one of
Ketchum's rather offensive cigars.
TN the last three weeks we've done
everything short Of burning the house
to convince her that this is not a
| homelike neighborhood. We've hired
the janitor Of the Insoluble to dump
dust and tin cans from the roof into
her yard. We've had the drayman
from Rosewasser's store load crates
against her fence, so she can't get
in or out. In mending our mains
| we've - accidentally shut of her
| water supply. One of our agents
! thought of the bonfire scheme"
Ketchum chuckled in the manner of
wasn't our fault, was it, that the
board of health selected the spot in
front of her house as a trash crema-
torium?"
Gee" almost whispered Brian Boru.
"And you call yourself booster! A
tourists back to Los Angeles"
Get out Of my Office" beloved
Ketchum.
"In a minute" said the Little
Booster, shifting the cigar to the
other side Of his mouth, but making
no other move.
Il suppose you got lots of time,
now you're out of job" Ketchum
said.
II amt out of q job"
What darn fool are you workin'
"Mrs Casey" replied Brian calmly.
She don't know I'm working for her.
"I hope you'll begin by teaching
her some public spirit. For the selfish
whim of a female mule. she's block
ing the progress of the whole town.
It's hold-up."
"She amt got a corner on the hold
up business" Brian suddenly stood
and leaned over Ketchum. "Now look
that you're tryin' to hold up the park
commission for fifty thousand dollars
on six lots that amt worth three. Be-
cause the city wants that strip for
their new gateway on Ocean beule-
like a porous plaster. You're spoilin'
amt goin' to let you do that. Before
the weeks up I'll make you give that
property to the city for what it's
worth"
What I do with my property Is
none O. your business" snarled the
Big Booster.
Chats just what the Wildly Casey
says. Unreasonable woman! But be-
fore you smoke Mrs. Casey out of her
lots bet smoke you off your park
property SO hard you'll be spittin'
cinders the rest O. your natural life"
Dream on. Nemo" quoth the Big
Booster sweetly. as he showed the Lit.
tie Booster out into the hall and
locked the door on the inside.
A s Mrs. Casey had never given any
sane excuse for resisting the
offers of plutocrats and sticking to
her miserable hut. Brian set forth to
hnd an explanation; and he took the
most direct course by applying to
Mrs. Casey herself. It was not with
out misgivings that he swung the
little picket gate between the two
skyscrapers and approached the
dwarfish house. In physique he knew
he was no match for the Amazon who
had scaldsd many ambassadors from
rival real-estate dealers and put
mourning-bands around the eyes of
several more.
He was rather relieved, indeed.
front door Of the cettage; but a pun
gent smell of baking apprised him
of the worst: Mrs. Casey was at
home. Passing through the scraGgfy
garden in the sideyard, he startled
half a dozen hens out of their fore
noon repose.
"Who are ye?" suddenly inquired
harsh contralto from the screen
door.
"a FRIEND" said Brian, halting dead
In his tracks.
"A-r re ye a. real-estater?'
"Yes, ma'am."
Then that for yer friepdshipt'
Tho screen door suddenly popped
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