“Well, I’m glad he’s in slumberland,” remarked Noddy, as he covered Jimmy up in bed. “I couldn’t stand this very long.”
That evening several members of the gang came in, and Noddy laid the case before them.
“It’s all right for you fellows,” he said, “but you don’t have to stay here all day and amuse the kid, and keep him from crying for his mother. If I only had to go out and do things the way you do I wouldn’t mind it.”
“Well, you’ll have to stay shut up for a while longer, on account of your hands,” remarked Perkins. “It can’t be very long now. I wouldn’t wonder but there’d be a personal in to-morrow morning’s papers, saying Larry and his mother had agreed to sign the deed. That will end the whole matter.”
“Well, I only hope it does,” growled Noddy. “It’s the last trick of this kind you get me into.”
“Brace up!” exclaimed Perkins. “You’re a little down in the mouth now. When you get your share out of the deal you’ll be satisfied. I guess the game is almost up now. There should have been a personal in before this.” But fate had so ordered that the one Larry and Mr. Newton inserted was not seen.
“Suppose you don’t hear from Larry?” asked Noddy.
“If we don’t inside of three days,” answered Perkins, “we’re going ahead on a brand-new plan.”
“What is it?”
“We’ll simply condemn the land, and then we’ll get it for almost nothing. Only that process is a little slow, and we’re in a hurry. Snyder and Beacham had a talk on the matter somewhere to-day, I understand, and decided the thing could be kept secret no longer. The news will be out in a week at the most, so whatever is done must be done quickly.”