Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-02

"Hunnicott has told you what I am after" said Kent, when the survey party was made up. We all know the property well enough, but to have 1t all fair and above board, we'll drive out and lookit over so that our knowl- edge may be said to be fully up to date"
 Twenty minutes afterwards the quar- tet was locating the corner of a square in Gaston's remotest suburb; an addition" whose only improvements were the weathered and rotting street and lot stakings on the bare, brown plain. ,o ,..,,,,us & Hawks addition,'" said Kent, read ing from a memorandum in his note book. Tt lies beautifully, doesn't it?" -.s . .. <.
 ''Yes; for chicken farm," chuckled the assessor. - @
 Well, give me your candid opinion, you two: what is the property worthy"
 The Building and Loan man scratche ed his chin.
 Say $50 for the plot-if you'll fence 1t"
 MO, put it up. You are having little boom here now: give it the top boom price, if you like" E.sat
 The two referees drew apart and laid their heads together. .-..
 "As property is going here just now. $50 for the inside lots, and $1OO apiece for the corners; say three thousand for the plot. And that is just about three times what anybody but land crazy idiot would give for it." It was Frazee who announced the decision.
 Thank you both until you are bet ter paid. Now we'll go back to town and you can write me a joint letter stating the fact. If you think it will get you disliked here at home, make the figure higher; make it high enough so that all Gaston will be dead sure to approve"
 "You are going to print it?" asked the Building and Loan appraiser.
 "I may want to. You may shape 1t | to that end"
 "I'll stand by my figures" said Fra ] zee. "It will give me my little chance <! to get back at the governor. l had it assessed as unimproved suburban property at so much the lot, but he made a kick to the board of equaliza- tion and got it put in as unimproved farm land at $50 an acre." Then, look ing at his watch: Wed better be getting back, if you want to catch the accommodation. Won't you stay over and visit with us?"
 'I can't, this time; much obliged" said Kent; and they drove to the Building and Loan office where the joint letter of appraisal was written and signed.
 Kent caught his train with some- thing to spare, and was back at the capital in good time to keep a dinner engagement at Miss Van Brooks. He had understood that Ormsby would be the only other guest. But Portia had little surprise in store for him. Loring had dropped in, unannounced. from the east; and Portia, having first ascertained that Mrs. Brentwood's s asthma was prohibitive of late din- ings-out, had instructed Ormsby to bring Elinor and Penelope.
 Kent had been saving the results of his deep-sea divings in the oil-field investigation to spread them out be- fore Miss Van Brock and Ormsby Fin committee" but he put paddock on his lips when he saw the others.
 Portia gave him Elinor to take out, and he would have rejoiced brazenly if the table talk, from the boullon to the ices, had not been consistently gen. eral. turning most naturally upon the Universal Oil company's successful coup in the Belmount field. Kent kept out of it as much as he could, striving manfully to monopolize Elinor for his own especial behoof; but finally Por. tia laid her commands upon him.
 You are not to be allowed to ma room yourself with Miss Brentwood any longer" she said dictatorially "You know more about the dnpub' lished part of this Belmount conspir' acy than anyone excepting the con spirators themselves, and you are tc tell us all about it."
 Kent looked up rather helplessly. Really, I'm not sure that know anything worth repeating at your din ner-table," he protested. But Miss Van Brock made a mocl of his caution.
 You needn't be afraid. pledged everybody to secrecy before you came It is understood that we are in 'execu tive session. And if you don't knov much. you may tell us what you knov now more than you knew before yo' knew so little as you know now"
 Hold on," said Kent; twill yo' please say that over again and say i slowly"
 Never mind.' laughed 0rmsby Miss Portia has a copyright on that But before you begin. I'd like to knov : if the newspapers have 1t straigh as far as they have gone into it?" They have. all but one small detail They are saying that Senator Duval , has left the city and the state"
 Hasn't he?" Loring asked.
 "He hadn't yesterday"
 "My-oh." said Portia They vii mob him if he shows himself"
 Kent nodded assent.
 He knows 1t: he is hiding out |. But I found him"
 , "where?" from the three women | , chorus
 "In his own house. out in Pentlan