The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-06
EDening Story
Eliminating Susan.
BY JANE OSBORN.

Il should judge that you are about
the up-and-coming-es young real es-
later in town." said Mr.. Thad Upton
as. he strobe Importantly into the Of
fike of Jewett & Howe. He was adj
dressing Mr. Howe, who sat at a rail-
top desk inside the little gate and
fence that divided the inner from the
outer office.
rs there something I can do for
your" asked John Howe. rising and
stepping toward the stranger.
Answer my question first. Are
you the smartest real estate man in
town? Don't lie to me. If you think
you are, say So"
Frankly. believe am" said John
Howe.
Then Mr.. Thad Upton stretched out
his hand and shook that of Mr.. John
Howe, who ushered the older man to
the chair beside his desk. That was
the beginning Of the business rela-
tions of Messrs. Thad Upton and John
Howe.
. 1T want you to sell the old Truax
property" Mr.. Upton explained. MY
mother was Truax. A bachelor
brother of hers came by the home
stead and willed it to me. But there
is one specification in the will. It's
mine to do what I want with it pro-
viding IL I do sell I must let Susan
Truax, his grandniece, have first
have it at a maximum of $4,000.
Now, here's what I want you to
do: That property is worth consider
ably more than that-forty at least.
I want you to eliminate this Susan
Truax as a possible purchaser. never
clapped eyes on her. All I know is
that she is a daughter of cousin
lives in Fairfield, and is, or ought to
be. twenty-five years old this coming
June"
but how shall I go about 1T"
asked Mr.. Howe. ''If she gets any
idea that the property is worth more
than the thirty thousand dollars she
will buy it whether she wants to keep
it or not. OF course, I can't approach
her directly. She'll see at once there
is some motive
ct don't care how you go about II, !"
said old Thad Upton. ''If you are as
smart as the folks in this town think
you are then you'll eliminate Susan as
possible purchaser. I may as well
tell you the truth-Pm not counting
on making any profit on the trans
action. YouS can keep the profit as
your commission. You see I'm en-
titled to that property thru my mother
and this uncle OF mine knew was. 1t
was promised to her as her portion.
But he put this clause in his will out
of sheer odssednesS, and then turned
around and left this grandniece $780,
900 to buy the property with. All I
old Uncle Truax. That's why I want
you to eliminate Susan. Somehow or
other you must make her feel that
that property isn't worth anything. If
she's spook shy start a rumor that it
is haunted. Do something, somehow,
and the profit you make is yours"
At the outset John Howe made sure
after an examination of the old Truax
property that it really was worth $40,-
900. Then he set about finding Susan.
found a pretext of doing business in
Fairfield and secured lodging in a
boarding house not far from Susan
Truax's home. 1t was not easy, how
ever, even for the enga ging John Howe
to gain entree into Susan Truaxs ex-
elusive social set. However, at the
expiration of three weeks he found
himself a permitted caller at the
Truax home in Fairfield.
He talked of many things, and
managed to discover that Susan Truax
liked old houses and old things IL they
belonged to members OF her family;
she was not in the least afraid of
ghosts, did not object to mosquitoes
had thought IL spooks failed he might
fall back on a rumor that there were
mosquitoes or snakes on the Truax
property.
81 shouldn't bore you with family
affairs" said Susan, but 1 am SO in
terested in some property that I have
the first chance to buy. I have an
idea from something you said the
other night that you might know
something about real estate. OF
course I am, anxious to acquire this
old homestead OF ours. I'd like to
keep it as a summer place; but don't
want to buy it II the $4,000 I shall
have to pay for 1t is more than it is
John Howe succeeded in hiding the
fact that he was more than politely
interested in what Susan was saying.
Now, I wonder if you could find
out for me in some way whether this
property is really a good investment 90
Without knowing what he ought to
do, John Howe promised Susan that
he personally would make the investi-
cation for her. Then he went back to
his lodging to ponder on the problem
that presented itself.
If he told Susan that the property
was not worth buying he would be
eliminating her as a possible pur-
chaser, he would be doing the thing
that old Mr.. Upton had sent him to
do. and he would be giving himself
an opportunity to make a desirable
commission. after all this would be
nothing more than sane business.
If, on the other hand, he told Susan
that the property was worth the
amount it actually was, he would not
only be depriving himself of the
promised commission but he would be
betraying the confidence of Mr..
Upton.
He might tell her nothing simply
make excuses for leaving Fairfield,
and return home to tell Mr.. Upton
that he had failed. The hardest part
OF that was that he didn't want to
leave Susan. In spite of himself he
had become very much fascinated by
this dignified young woman. And she
had not seemed to spurn his advances
From the first she had seemed to pre-
fer his society to that of any Of the
other men in her set
John Howe pondered these things
for an hour or more, than before
retiring he wrote the letter to Mr.
Thad Upton that decided the fate of
the Truax homestead and incidentally