Odd Numbers: Being Further Chronicles of Shorty McCabeFord, Sewell
General
Odd Numbers: Being Further Chronicles of Shorty McCabe
Ford, Sewell
Humorous stories, American; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction
"Will I?" says I. "I'll advance you twenty to take him away, and charge
it up to him. But what'll you do with him?"
"Start the Tutwater Sanatorium for Deranged Millionaires," says he.
"There's a fortune in it. May I leave him here for an hour or so?"
"What for?" says I.
"Until I can engage my chief of staff," says he.
"Say, Tutty," says I, "do you really mean to put over a bluff the size of
that?"
"I've thought it all out," says he. "I can do it."
"All right, blaze ahead," says I; "but I'm bettin' you land in the lockup
inside of twenty-four hours."
What do you think, though? By three o'clock he comes back, towin' a
spruce, keen eyed young chap that he introduces as Dr. McWade. He's
picked him up over at Bellevue, where he found him doin' practice work in
the psychopathic ward. On the strength of that I doubles my grubstake,
and he no sooner gets his hands on the two sawbucks than he starts for
the street.
"Here, here!" says I. "Where you headed for now?"
And Tutwater explains how his first investment is to be a new silk lid,
some patent leather shoes, and a silver headed walkin' stick.
"Good business!" says I. "You'll need all the front you can carry."
And while he's out shoppin' the Doc and me and Swifty Joe lugs the
patient up to Tutwater's office without disturbin' his slumbers at all.
Well, I didn't see much more of Tutwater that day, for from then on he
was a mighty busy man; but as I was drillin' across to the Grand Central
on my way home I gets a glimpse of him, sportin' a shiny hat and white
spats, just rushin' important into a swell real estate office. About noon
next day he stops in long enough to shake hands and say that it's all
settled.
"Tutwater Sanatorium is a fact," says he. "I have the lease in my
pocket."
"What is it, some abandoned farm up in Vermont?" says I.
"Hardly," says Tutwater, smilin' quiet.
"It's Cragswoods; beautiful modern buildings, formerly occupied as a
boys' boarding school, fifteen acres of lovely grounds, finest location
in Westchester County. We take possession to-day, with our patient."
"But, say, Tutwater," says I, "how in blazes did you----"
"I produced Fargo," says he. "Dr. McWade has him under complete control
and his cure has already begun. It will be finished at Cragswoods. Run up
and see us soon. There's the address. So long."
Well, even after that, I couldn't believe he'd really pull it off.
Course, I knew he could make Fargo's name go a long ways if he used it
judicious; but to launch out and hire an estate worth half a million--why
he was makin' a shoestring start look like a sure thing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account