"Can't I arrange with you for a twenty-four-hour option?" he begged,
becoming anxious.

"I shall not bind myself in any way," she declared. "To-morrow
afternoon at three."

"That's a beautiful piece of property," commented Johnny as they
drove by. "By George, the apartment-house will shut those people off
from the river!"

"That's the only reason she'd be willing to sell," replied Val.
"What set you hunting up this property?"

"The De Luxe Apartments Company intends confining its operations to
this quarter. They'll go scouting among the listed properties first-
-and they may not find this one until I am asking them two hundred
and fifty for it."

That afternoon, Johnny, always prompt, was ahead of time at the
final committee meeting of the Babies' Fund Fair, but Constance Joy
did not seem in the least surprised at his punctuality.

"I was in hopes you'd come early," she greeted him. "I want to show
you the score board of your game."

"Honest, did you make one?" he asked, half-incredulous of his good
fortune, as she led the way into the library; and his eyes further
betrayed his delight when she showed him the score board itself.

"See," she pointed out, "you were to make five thousand dollars an