The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-26

man who IS alone than from one
who lives in the bosom of his family.
I, you may absolutely depend upon my
"He looked very had at me as I
spoke, and it seemed to me that had
never seen SO suspicious and question
ing an eye. 80
at last.
Yes, promise.
Absolute and complete silence be-
fore, during, and afterq No reference
to the matter at all, either in word or
writing9'
very s good SS' H Rs suddenly iHn s Wan
up, and darting like lightning across
the room, he flung open the door. The
passage outside was empty.
g 'That's all right, said he, coming
back. I know that clerks are some
times curious as to their masters at
fairs. Now we can talk in safety He
drew up his chair very close to mine,
and began to stare at me again with
the same questioning and thought
full look.
q A feeling of repulsion, and Of some
thing akin to fear had begun to. rise
within me at the strange antics of this
heshless man: Even my dread of losing
a client could not restrain me from
showing my Impotence.
L beg, that you will state your
business, sir, said /; my time is of
value Heaven forgive me for that
last sentence, but the words came to my
lips. ~.
:" How would fifty guineas for a
Most admirably
"'I say nights work, but an
hours would be nearer the mark. I
simply want your opinion about a n.y.
draulic stamping machine which has got
out of gear sh. II you show T. US r %hat is
selves: What do you think Of such a
commission as that9'
'rhe work appears to be light and
the pay munifcent. - .
Precisely so. We shall want you
to come ms, tonight by the last train
/" ITO Eyford, in Berkshire. It is a
little place near the borders Of Oxford
shire, and within seven miles Of Read
ing. There is a train from Padding tOn
y which would bring you there at about
11 i 3vo,.,. ,.ooa
. "'I shall come down in carriage
to meet you:'
" Yes, our little place is quite Out
in the country. It is q good seven miles
! from Eyford station
Then We can hardly get there be
: be- compelled to stop the night
YES we could easily give you {
shake-down.' s
:, * THAT is very awkward. Could
: hour2n
+ should come late. It is to recompenst
you for any Inconvenience that we art
= man, a fee which WOULD buy al
! opinion from the very - head
Of your profession. Still, o:
course, if you would like to draw ou
: of the business, there is plenty of tim
! to do So
= of how very useful they would be t
. me. Not at ALL said I, L shall b
. very happy to accommodate myself t.
:; your wishes. I should like, however
4 to understand little more clearly wha
~ it is that. you wish me to do.
z "'Quite so. It is very natural tina
+ exacted from you should have aroused
= your curiosity. I have no wish to com
= NIT you to anything without your hav
~ ing it all laid before you. I suppos
,. that we are absolutely safe from caves
+ + droppersl' ...-.
i; " Entirely
:. "'Then the matter stands thus. Yo
Il are probably aware that fuller 's-eart
Il is valuable product, and that it
!. only found in one or two places in Eng
q LANDAU
, g" Some little time ago I bought
y small place-a very small place-withi
l. ten miles Of Reading. I was fortunat
J enough to discover that there was
+, deposit of fuller 's-earth in one Of m
It found that this deposit was wa a compare ,
= lively small one, and that it formed
q, link between two very much large
"a ones upon the right and left-both G
20 them, however, in the grounds of m
u neighbors. These good people were al
TT solutely ignorant that their land col
as a. gold-mine. Naturally, it was
IS my interest to buy their land befo1
a they discovered it's true value; bu
N unfortunately, I had no capital b
which could do this. I took a few
re my friends into the secret, howeve
I'll and they suggested that we should gu
e. city and secretly work our own lit
Is. deposit, and that in this way we shou
lg earn the money. which would enable !
ed to buy the neighboring fields. This v
TT have now been doing for some tim
We and in order to help us in our oper
&c tions we erected a hydraulic pres
This press, as I have already explaine
as has got out Of order, and we wish yo
ny advice upon the subject. We guard O
n secret very iealously, however, and
ne it once became known that we had h
ID, draulic engineers coming. to our lit
n house, it would soon rouse inquiry, al
at then, if the facts came out, it won
a be good-by to any chance Of gettil
ut these fields and carrying out our pla1
lot That is why I have made you promi
lin me that you will not tell a human bel
ed that you are going to Eyford tonigl
i'm I hope that make it all plain9'
Use II quite follow you.' said l. TT
his only point which I could not quite u
al. derstand. was what use Won could ma
we Of hydraulic press in eAcavating f
ar Ter 's-earth. which, as I understand,
tly dug out like gravel from pit
pc. sAh!' said he, carelessly, I'VE ha
our own process. We compress
it'll earth into bricks, so as to remove tn,
GU without revealing what they are. T
Lr. that is mere detail. / have tax
lot YOU fully into my confidence now, n
is Hatherley, and I have shown you h
no I trust YOU He rose as he spoke.
shall expect you, then, at Eyford
nv 11:15.'
80 t1'L shall certainly be there
Sd 6 And not a word to q soul.
looked at me with last, long duestit
] T ing gaze. and then, pressing my ha
his in cold, dank grasp, he hurried fir
me the room.
nd ttWe1l, when came to think it
in over in cool blood was very, mu
astonished, as you may both think,