"We'll make it useful, then," says I. "Why, it's got Aladdin's lamp beat four ways for Wednesday! These bonds go to Pedders. Then Pedders shaves off his whiskers, puts on his Sunday suit, braces his shoulders back, walks down to the bank, and chucks this bunch of securities at 'em triumphant." "But if the bank is still out a hundred and fifty thousand," objects Steele, "I don't see how----" "They ain't out a cent," says I. "We'll find a customer for these bonds." "Who?" says he. "J. Bayard Steele," says I. "Ain't you actin' for a certain party that would have wanted it done?" "By Jove!" says he. "Shorty, you've hit it! Why, I'd never have thought of----" "No," says I; "you're still seein' only that twenty per cent commission. Well, you get that. But I want to see the look in Mrs. Pedders' eyes when she hears the news." Say, it was worth makin' a way train trip to Tullington, believe me! "I knew," says she. "Oh, I always have known John didn't do it! And now others will know. Oh, I'm glad, so glad!" Even brought a slight dew to them shifty eyes of J. Bayard's, that little scene did. "McCabe," says he, as we settles ourselves in the night express headed towards Broadway, "this isn't such a bad game, after all, is it?" CHAPTER IV TWO SINGLES TO GOOBER "Shorty," says Sadie, hangin' up the 'phone and turnin' to me excited, "what do you think? Young Hollister is back in town!" "So are lots of other folks," says I, "and more comin' every day." "But you know he promised to stay away," she goes on, "and his mother will feel dreadfully about it when she hears." "I know," says I. "And a livelier widow never hailed from Peachtree street, Atlanta; which is sayin' a lot. Who sends in this bulletin about Sonny?" "Purdy-Pell," says Sadie, "and he doesn't know what to do." "Never does," says I. Sadie flickers a grin. "It seems Robin came two days ago, and has hardly been seen about the house since. Besides, Purdy-Pell could do nothing with him when he was here before, you remember." "Awful state of things, ain't it?" says I. "The youngster's all of nineteen, ain't he?" "He's nearly twenty-one," says Sadie. "And Mrs. Hollister's such a dear!" "All of which leads up to what?" says I, tearin' my eyes from the sportin' page reluctant. "Why," says Sadie, cuddlin' up on the chair arm, "Purdy-Pell suggests that, as Robin appeared to take such a fancy to you, perhaps you wouldn't mind----" "Say," I breaks in, "he's a perfectly punk suggester! I'd mind a lot!" Course that opened the debate, and while I begins by statin' flat-footed that Robin could come or go for all I cared, it ends in the usual compromise. I agrees to take the eight-forty-five into town and skirmish for Sonny. He'd be almost sure to show up at Purdy-Pell's to-night, Sadie says, and if I was on hand I might induce him to quit wreckin' the city and be good. "Shouldn't I wear a nurse's cap and apron?" I remarks as I grabs my hat.