Part 26 (1/2)

She went back to her cabin, after a while, and she continued to have her three meals a day all the same as usual; but if she could have seen, as Kate saw, how steadily the little fund for her support was diminis.h.i.+ng day by day, she would have had some reason for her apprehensions.

It was on a pleasant Sat.u.r.day in early September, that Harry stood looking over the front gate in his father's yard. Kate was at the dining-room window, sewing. Harry was thinking, and Kate was wondering what he was thinking about. She thought she knew, and she called out to him: ”I expect old Mr. Matthews would lend you a gun, Harry.”

”Yes, I suppose he would,” said Harry, turning and slowly walking up toward the house; ”but father told me not to borrow a gun from Truly Matthews. It's a shame, though, to stay here when the fields are just chock full of partridges. I never knew them so plenty in all my life.

It's just the way things go.”

”It is a pity about your gun,” said Kate. ”There's some one at the gate, Harry. Hadn't you better go and see what he wants? Father won't be home until after dinner, you can tell him.”

Harry turned.

”It's Mr. Martin,” said he, and he went down to the gate to meet him.

”How do you do, Mr. President?” said Mr. Martin. ”I rode over here this morning, and thought I would come and see you.”

Harry shook hands with his visitor, and invited him to walk into the house; but after Mr. Martin had dismounted and fastened his horse, he thought that the seat under the catalpa-tree looked so cool and inviting, that he proposed that they should sit down there and have a little chat.

”I have been thinking about the extension of your telegraph line,” said the manager of the mica mine, ”and have talked it over with our people.

They agree with me that it would be a good thing, and we have determined, if it suits you and your company, that we will advance the money necessary to carry out the scheme.”

”I'm glad to hear that,” said Harry; ”but, as I said before, you'll have to bear the whole expense, and it will cost a good deal to carry the line from the creek all the way to Hetertown.”

”Yes, it will cost some money,” said Mr. Martin ”but our idea is that you ought to have a complete line while you are about it, and that it ought to run from our mine to Hetertown.”

”From your mine to Hetertown!” exclaimed Harry, in astonishment.

”Yes,” said Mr. Martin, smiling. ”That is the kind of a line that is really needed. You see, our business is increasing, and we are buying land which we intend to sell out in small farms, and so expect to build up quite a little village out there in time. So you can understand that we would like to be in direct communication with Richmond and the North.

And if we can have it by means of your line, we are ready to put the necessary funds into the work.”

Harry was so amazed at this statement, that he could hardly find words with which to express himself.

”Why, that would give us a regular, first-cla.s.s telegraph line!” he exclaimed.

”Certainly,” said Mr. Martin, ”and that's the only kind of a line that is really worth anything.”

”I don't know what to think about it,” said Harry. ”I didn't expect you to propose anything like this.”

”Well,” said Mr. Martin, rising, ”I must be off. I had only a few minutes to spare, but I thought I had better come and make you this proposition. I think you had better lay it before your Board of Managers as soon as possible, and if you will take my advice, as a business man, you'll accept our offer.”

So saying, he bid Harry good-by, took off his hat to Kate, who was still looking out of the window, mounted his horse, and rode away.

There was a meeting of the Board of Managers of the Crooked Creek Telegraph Company that afternoon. It was a full meeting, for Harry sent hasty messengers to those he called the ”out-lying members.”

A more astonished body of officials has seldom been seen than was our Board when Harry laid the proposition of Mr. Martin before it.

But the boys were not so much amazed that they could not jump at this wonderful opportunity and in a very short time it was unanimously voted to accept the proposition of the mica-mine people, and to build the great line.

Almost as soon as this important vote had been taken, the meeting adjourned, and the members hurried to their several homes to carry the news.