Jimmy chuckled. “Not a bit. It’s a cinch. You stall Patterson off until twelve—”
“But your father isn’t going to let you have a hundred and twenty-five dollars for a crazy business like this!”
“Oh, yes, he is. He’s a good sort, dad is. I can get a check from him and make that express easy.”
“But, Jimmy, you’re sick in the head! A hundred and twenty-five dollars is a lot of money. Even if your father happened to have that much to spare right now he wouldn’t—”
“Huh?” Jimmy looked surprised. “To spare? Oh, I see.” He grinned then. “Rus, you don’t happen to know who my dad is, do you?” Russell shook his head. “He’s Austen of Austen and Cooper.”
“Is he?” asked Russell, unimpressed.
“Oh, gee,” laughed Jimmy, “you’re no New Yorker, are you? Well, Austen and Cooper are a couple of disgustingly wealthy old men, Rus. That’s enough for them. Anyway, dad is pretty sure to be able to dig up a hundred and twenty-five, and he will let me have it, all right, when I tell him what it’s for.”
“Oh!” said Russell. “But, look here, Jimmy, I couldn’t take a loan of that size!”
“Why not? Oh, very well, we won’t argue about that. I’ll buy Patterson’s interest from you as soon as you get it from him. That is if you don’t object to me as a partner. Of course I wouldn’t be a very active partner after next June, but we could make some arrangement that would be fair to you. The main thing now is—”