“I come to take that lumber off of your hands,” says Catty. “Not that we want all of it, but jest to help you out we’ll take the whole mess—at a price.”
“What lumber? What you talkin’ about?”
“The lumber from Mr. Heminway. We kin use some of it, and the rest ’ll keep. Cash. Or we’ll settle with Heminway, jest as you say.”
“Who are you?” bawled Mr. Bolger.
“I’m representin’ Atkins & Phillips, and I got authority to make a deal,” says Catty. “I jest happened to hear what you said about that lumber, and I figgered it wa’n’t nothin’ more ’n decent to offer to help you out—as long as we could use the stuff.”
“You did, did you? I’d like to know how a kid like you can use lumber enough to build twenty houses.”
“Oh, we’re building houses right along, and we can store what we don’t use right off ... if the price is right. You’ll have to borrow money to pay for that stuff, and it ’ll cost you six per cent, to do that. Won’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Well, we’ll take it off your hands at five per cent, less ’n you paid or promised to pay. You’ll be savin’ one per cent, that way.”
“Huh!”