erence in grading costs, that trees would not always
flourish as expected, that certain members of the city water and gas
departments had to be "seen" and "fixed" before certain other
improvements could be effected. Mr. Ross attended to all this, but the
cost of the proceedings was something which had to be discussed, and
Lester heard it all.

After the land was put in shape, about a year after the original
conversation, it was necessary to wait until spring for the proper
advertising and booming of the new section; and this advertising began
to call at once for the third payment. Lester disposed of an
additional fifteen thousand dollars worth of securities in order to
follow this venture to its logical and profitable conclusion.

Up to this time he was rather pleased with his venture. Ross had
certainly been thorough and business-like in his handling of the
various details. The land was put in excellent shape. It was given a
rather attractive title--"Inwood," although, as Lester noted,
there was precious little wood anywhere around there. But Ross assured
him that people looking for a suburban residence would be attracted by
the name; seeing the vigorous efforts in tree-planting that had been
made to provide for shade in the future, they would take the will for
the deed. Lester smiled.

The first chill wind that blew upon the infant project came in the
form of a rumor that the International Packing Company, one of the big
constituent members of the packing house combination at Halstead and
Thirty-ninth streets, had determined to desert the old group and lay
out a new packing area for itself. The papers explained that the
company intended to go farther south, probably below Fifty-fifth
Street and west of Ashland Avenue. This was the territory that was
located due west of Lester's property, and the mere suspicion that the
packing company might invade the territory was sufficient to blight
the prospects of any budding real estate deal.

Ross was beside himself with rage. He decided, after quick
deliberation, that the best thing to do would be to boom the property
heavily, by means of newspaper advertising, and see if it could not be
disposed of before any additional damage was likely to be done to it.
He laid the matter before Lester, who agreed that this would be
advisable. They had already expended six thousand dollars in
advertising, and now the additional sum of three thousand dollars was
spent in ten days, to ma