Middletown transcript., 1903-02-14

mo You may be quite sure he
can take care Of himself. And
are you certain about the river'
he insisted.
How strange you are. she said
But know that it must astonisl
you and I can understand thai
lyou cannot believe it. Good
night; I'm going to send you
away now. / wish you could
stay
| And talk business?
| You admit that you do?
| Yes, he answered boldly, what
is the greatest business of my
life.
AS he gathered up bis hat and
coat and stick from the carved
chair in the hall, went outthrough
the door that the servant held
open for him, descended the
broad fight of steps and passed
down the walk by the side of the
drive to the street, he was abso-
lutely unconscious of all that he
did. He was thinking so in
tently that when he found him
self on the sidewalk. he still held
his hat in his hand. He crushed
it down on his head and started
forward with quick, nervous
steps without heed, however, to
the direction in which he was
goings
Was he to find in what he had
just heard the answer to the
problem that had been torment
ing him all day, and not only all
day but for many days and
nights? Did not the information
conveyed by Julia settle every
thing? With a feeling of sudden
relief and exultation he hurried
on. There need be no more
doubt. He could feel sure now
what course to pursue.
For the past year the forma-
ton of the Sacinac Steel Com
pany had been the most impor-
tantmatter in the business of the
town. When men met at the
club this was the subject upon
which the talk ran; after every
dinner when the men were left |
alone the topic was the one that
inevitably came up. At first the
question as to whether the an.
dertaking was really to be put
through was largely discussed;
later when this was assured the
place of building was the matter
constantly under consideration.
AS the city lay, where the river
flowed out of the Great Lake,
there were two possible places
for the company to 60; on the
river bank below the city or on
the Lake shore at a spot called
Rocky Point. At one of these
two places a growing town would
Immediately spring ui,, but which
it should be no one could tell.
And as to the facts no one of the
management had given hint.
At the first news of the great
undertaking Northup, acting
with Eckert, had secured options
On two farms near Rocky Point.
The option was for four months,
md both Northup and Eckert
mad felt that before that time
methingdefnite must be known
hat would enable them to de-
,ide what to do. But the weeks
md months had passed and as
ret nothing had come out that
lad made it possible for them to
each a conclusion.
On the following day at twelve
he option expired. For hours
uring the past morning Eckert
nd himself had discussed the
'ros and cons. Should they
lose with the owners, and take d
he property they would, if the
ompany went to the river bank,
e saddled with several hundred
cres of ordinary, farming land. 8,
t they let it go and the Steel a.
eople should come to Rocky t
'oint the chances of a possible Il
mall fortune would be lost. 4
This was the proposition that [
ad confronted Northup and his il
artner for weeks and still con Il
ronted them. And now n
10 one was more thoroughly in :
be secrets of the Steel Company a
han Amos Burnham. Indeed no =
ne more fully directed its policy. I
md Northup had heard that at 1