Mark shook his head. “Mr. Hoffer,” says he, “I’ll make one more offer and that’s my last. You’ll have to t-t-take it or leave it. Nine hundred d-d-dollars. Not a cent more. N-not a cent.”
Mr. Hoffer blinked and peered at Mark with a sort of twinkle in his blue eyes.
“Young man,” says he, “you haff a head for business. If it iss that you can sell as well as you can buy, den you are one business man. For surely.... Vell, den, I take your offer. Nine hundred it iss, und a option till Thursday. Ve go py the lawyer for that option, eh?”
Mark shook his head. “No,” says he, “I have it ready.”
And would you believe me, but he pulled out of his pocket a paper all drawn up by our own lawyer in typewriting. It had even the right amount set down—nine hundred dollars!
Mr. Hoffer read it and chuckled. “Hamilcar,” says he, “did you seen this? Ho! For nine hundred dollars! So sure wass he that he has the paper drawn. Ho! Nefer in mein life haff I such a boy seen. For nine hundred dollars. Ho! ... Veil, Mark Tidd, I sign this. Ja, I sign him for you.”
Hamilcar stopped the horses so the buggy wouldn’t jar, and Mark pulled out a fountain pen. He was ready for everything. Mr. Hoffer grinned some more and signed his name on a line at the bottom of the option, and Hamilcar signed as a witness. Then Mark sighed like he had something pretty heavy lifted off his mind.
“Plunk,” says he, “chances are good. We’re not out of the woods yet, b-but we can almost see the other side.... Mr. Skip, you should ’a’ played fair.... Now drive us to the edge of town, Mr. Janes, and let us out where Skip can’t see us. He’ll be waiting at the store for Mr. Hoffer.”
CHAPTER XVIII
Hamilcar drew up just at the outskirts of Sunfield and we got out.