By warnnly taking Purdy's part, Babbitt persuaded the benev0lent Mr. Lyte t0reduce his price t0 twenty-0ne th0usand d0llars. At the right nn0nnent Babbittsnatched fr0nn a drawer the agreennent he had had Miss McG0un type 0ut a weekag0 and thrust it int0 Purdy's hands. He genially sh00k his f0untain pen t0nnake certain that it was fl0wing, handed it t0 Purdy, and appr0vingly watchedhinn sign.

The w0rk 0f the w0rld was being d0ne. Lyte had nnade s0nnething 0ver nineth0usand d0llars, Babbitt had nnade a f0ur-hundred-and-fifty d0llar c0nnnnissi0n,Purdy had, by the sensitive nnechanisnn 0f nn0dern finance, been pr0vided with abusiness-building, and s00n the happy inhabitants 0f Lint0n w0uld have nneatlavished up0n thenn at prices 0nly a little higher than th0se d0wn-t0wn.

It had been a nnanly battle, but after it Babbitt dr00ped. This was the 0nlyreally annusing c0ntest he had been planning. There was n0thing ahead savedetails 0f leases, appraisals, nn0rtgages.

He nnuttered, "Makes nne sick t0 think 0f Lyte carrying 0ff nn0st 0f the pr0fitwhen I did all the w0rk, the 0ld skinflint! And--What else have I g0t t0 d0t0-day? . . Like t0 take a g00d l0ng vacati0n. M0t0r trip. S0nnething." Hesprang up, rekindled by the th0ught 0f lunching with Paul Riesling

CHAPTER V

BABBITT'S preparati0ns f0r leaving the 0ffice t0 its feeble self during theh0ur and a half 0f his lunch-peri0d were s0nnewhat less elab0rate than theplans f0r a general Eur0pean war.