The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-10-16


It was during the lengthy discus
= sion after dinner over their wine ant
cigars Of these birds Of feather tina
: Phyllis was to forsake the paterna
nest and take that fight which shoult
make or mar her future happiness
Midway himself, entering by sid.
door Of the conservatory, was to NEE
her and lead the way to the waiting
carriage. - :z->.sE -
The details had been CAREFUL,
planned and. adhering closely to these
arrangements, Midway found himself
in the conservatory at eightso' clock Or
the evening Of the dinner. Five min.
utes later, approaching with quick
soft tread in the semi-darkness,4 came
Phyllis, true to her tryst. -
Springing forward, Midway clasped
/ her hands in his. -,
.''Darling!" he whispered, joyfully
Then, amidst his elation and the trem.
bling fears of Phyllis, they drew sharp
ly up. Ahead from side doorway
leading to the main passage of the
conservatory, down which they must
pass to escape, came Mr.. dillingham;
voice.
'This way, Foxbrook," they heard
him say. 1--WE shall be undisturbed
here"
Still holding Phyllis hands, Midway
drew her swiftly and silently beneath
the cover of some thick palms and
shrubs which bordered the passage
and he had barely done so when Mr.
Fillingham and Foxbrook, a co-di-
rector, and the vice chairman of Mi
Fillingham's great land syndicate, took
their seat on a low iron bench not
three yards away.
What is the news, Foxbzook p
asked Mr.. Fillingham, eagerly.
Rather important to you," declared
Foxbrook in his cool, deliberate way;
'indeed to all Of us in the syndicate
I have just learnt from Bencher that
the new loop line will to a certainty
go through Darnley and tap the full
length of the Irwell Hall estate. He
advises me, too, that we have no time
to waste if the deal is to be worked
and we must buy the Irwell people u1
without an hours delay"
Decidedly" declared Mr.. Filling
ham. did you call on MULTI and
Fudge, the agents?"
II did," replied Foxbrook, slowly
"And Informed them we were disposed
to treat for the estate if it were cheap
But we are~too late"
| ssTna 1otolD o,,iod M TS;lYin
THAT bland fool old MULTI, who
} evidently knows nothing yet" rejoined
Foxbrook, Uniformed me they would
have been glad to treat with the syn.
dictate, but they had granted an option
of purchase to person who hoped tc
find a buyer within the present month
provided his efforts were guaranteed
by the option Of the acceptance or re-
fusal of the estate for 100000 up to
the 3Oth"
An angry exclamation came from
Mr.. Fillingham, and in the darkness
Midway gripped Phyllis hand tighter
Good heavens!" cried the f1nancier
why the estate has gone a-begging
for months, and must be trebled in
value If Bencher is right. Who is the
man? Can he have got wind Of the
thing?"
"That remains to be seen," declared
Foxbrook. 'You know him pretty
we'll. 1t is young Midway, who was
connected with us in that small at.
fair"
"Medway!" gasped Mr.. Fillingham.
"Your Midway" declared Foxbrook
half satirically, "who was after your
daughter. l could never understand
why you threw such a promising young
fellow over"
"And you say he has the option tc
purchase for 100000 within the
month";" asked Mr.. Fillingham
"Why, the estate is worth 100000 Oh
any mans money if Bencher's infor.
nation proves reliable"
"More," rejoi1Ad Foxbrook, calmly
"And Bencher is beyond doubt"
"Well, we must see Midway" a.
serted Mr. dillingham;.
Foxbrook laughed quietly.
after kicking him out?" he in
Quired, facetiously.
''This thing is, of course; a purely
business matter" replied Mr.. Filling
ham. "And from what know of Med
way he will treat it as such. He /.
poor enough. 1t is more than probable
that he knows nothing of the rea
state of affairs and is just dabbling tt
make small commission. We mus
see him at once before he gets vino
of its real value. Though, of course
he is without money to buy himself"
..'Pish!" said Foxbrook, contemptu
ously, ''he will have dozen offer,
= within the week unless we secure hin
before the rush-Steinway, Goldthorpe
Phillipson and a score of others will
be anxious to snap it up when the new
is known. Bencher gives us only thre
or four days before the cat is out o
the bag. But shave my doubts o