suddenly discover that her health wasn't any too good, so I chased
her off to Virginia Hot Springs for a couple of weeks."

After all, Bunch had his redeeming qualities.

"I sent you that wire before I took sister's temperature," Bunch
explained, "and I quite forgot to send another which would put a
copper on the queens."

Once more he laughed uproariously and chortled between the
outbursts, "Now--ha, ha, ha!--I'm even for--ha, ha, ha!--for that
shoot the chute I did in your--ha, ha, ha--in your cellar--oh! ha,
ha, ha, ha!"

"Oh, quit your kidding!" I begged, and then, suddenly, "Say, Bunch,
will you sell the old homestead?"

Bunch stopped laughing and looked me over from head to foot. "Is
this on the level or simply another low tackle?"

"It's the goods," I answered: "I simply can't frighten, coax,
scare, drive or push my home companions away from your property, so
I'd like to buy it if you're game to cut the cards?"

"Been playing the lottery?" he snickered.

"No, but I have the Pierponts, all right, all right," I replied;
"will you put $14,000 in your kick and pass me over the baronial
estate?"