“Collins, in the City Bank Building,” said Tom. “Let’s go and see him now.”
Outside again, Jimmy studied the situation. On each side there was a vacant space, a matter of twenty-five feet or so toward Main Street and four times that distance on the other side. At the rear the nearest building, a dwelling house, was a good sixty feet away. “That’s a good thing, too,” Jimmy explained, “because folks won’t kick about noise and smell. And here’s something else that suits us, fellows. We’ve got plenty of room between the sidewalk and the building to stand three or four cars in. I don’t see why they set the barn back so far, but they did, and it helps us if we take it. I guess there’s no need of us all going to see the agent. Suppose I attend to it? Maybe I could beat him down better than you fellows.”
That was agreed to and they piled into The Ark again and went back on Main Street to the building in which the real estate man had his office. There Jimmy got out and Tom and Willard waited impatiently. He was gone some time, but when he came out again he winked solemnly as he climbed into the car.
“It’s a cinch,” he said. “He wanted twenty a month, but I told him we’d take a three-year lease of it at fifteen if he’d fix the floor for us and patch up the windows. He said he’d confer with the owners and let me know to-morrow. Wanted to know what I was going to use it for and looked as though he thought I was crazy when I told him. Maybe the railway company won’t agree to fix it up for us, but I’ll bet we can get it for fifteen a month; and that’s dirt-cheap!”
“I should say so!” exclaimed Willard. “That’s fine!”
“Bully!” agreed Tom.
“If they won’t fix it up for us,” continued Jimmy, “I’ll make him knock off a month’s rent toward the cost of doing it ourselves. He will do it, too; I could see he was tickled to death at the chance of renting it. You see, there aren’t many things you could use that building for. It might do for a stable or a small factory; or a garage; and that’s about all. And he knows it. If we’ve got time, fellows, let’s run around a little and see if there’s anything that looks better.”
There wasn’t, however. A stable at the other end of the town interested them for a while, but investigation showed that it would need too many repairs. And so when, the next afternoon, Jimmy met them with the tidings that they could have the car-barn at their own terms, the matter was settled then and there.
“I told him I’d be around in the morning to close it up,” said Jimmy. “I guess there won’t be any one else after it, but it doesn’t pay to take chances. Our rent won’t begin until the first of the month and we’ll have nearly a couple of weeks to fix it up. Sort of looks, doesn’t it, as though luck was with us?”
And the others agreed that it did.