The commonwealth., 1908-02-14
The Salter Contract
ecopyright. by Daily story Pub. Co,
By Arthur Collins

4
"strange. that John Fellows and l
| should be rivals In love as Well As
business said Henry Best
You forget" answered Fannie.
with an added pressure of the hand,
that you have no rivals now In love
at least hope you are not In love Win
some one else also"
We'll. he was a rival until a week
ago-and he still thinks he's a rival.
| suppose be keeps right on coming
-.~couldn't you let him know we're en-
gaged?'
"I'd rather we didn't announce it
now" she replied.
u understand. it's still doubtful"
Henry" said Fannie reproach-
fully. Not unless you are the doubt
er. Only 1t may be long engage
ment--Tm willing to wait, even at
tlsat, because IL care enough for you
but the dear public needn't walt
also"
There isn't going to be any long
engagement, Fannie" said Best, with
determination I'm not the man TO
tie up girl like you for a year or
more. I'm in debt now and my busi-
ness isn't far enough along to be pay
ing Now If / can swing this Salter
building contract-and | think can
why 1t is the biggest thing that has
struck this little city for years and
1t will put me high and dry with
plenty Of capital TO work with. Fan
ME. if my bid is accepted on that I'm
going to insist you marry me next
month; If | don't get it--why, it will
take probably year of small con-
tracts to make decent pile and I'm
not going to let you bind yourself to
any such small expectations"
when will you know about this
contract"
Next Friday. Bids accepted until
IL to-night-that's the latest
Is yours in?" she continued to ques-
ton
1T will be, soon" He took 1t from
his pocket and displayed it.
That is check for thousand "
he said, holding up bit of paper
THAT goes with the bid as evidence of
good faith"
Where did you get it?" she asked,
smiling.
yes, borrowed it." he replied, with
a laugh.
you knew | had thousand-my
whole fortune" she said, with blush.
Couldn't you have borrowed 1t from
me?"
mol" he answered, emphatically. Il
am one of those who don't believe
women should involve themselves In
business"
And this is your bid?" she said,
ignoring his remarks. "Thirty-eight
thousand dollars, is that your bid?"
There won't be bid under $4,000,
except mine, | know. None of the
inner circle think I'm In on this game.
just went low enough to skin them
Even at thirty-six thousand it would
give us house on the hill and leave
good big account in the bank to
buy your hats with"
Just remember about the hats" she
replied
'All right. And must be off,
Fannie kissed her lover good.by
and he hurried down the steps into
the darkness.
Fannie returned and seated herself
at the piano but had scarcely played
through a page when Mr.. John Eel
lows, the one Best thought rival in
love as well as business, dropped In
for call.
"Oh, expected to find Mr.. Best
here he said as he entered. Il won
dered ii he had put in bid on the
Salter contract. l thought he might
want to know that no bids under for
ty thousand would be received"
In an instant the. unsuspecting Fan
ME responded with an alarnhd3
What"
Fellows smiled with satisfaction at
his cleverness. Il said bids would Tot
be received under forty thousand, but |
was only ioking-just for something |
to be saying"
"Oh,' said Fannie, with an air Of |
relief that the shrewdest student of
human nature would not guess was
not genuine, Il didn't understand you"
Then with an air of the most absolute
innocence in the world she said: "Oh,
that will suit Mr.. Best. | saw his bid
and it's $4,000. He explained what
1t was and how much money he might
make on it. so happened to remem-
ber. / think it's awfully interesting
How do you do It? Do you all go |
down and shout your bid at the archi. |
tect--like the Chicago wheat pit / |
visited-it is the architect, isn't it,"
Mr. Fellows smiled again, indulg.
emily He had thought 1t would be
necessary to catch her unawares. Now
he felt that he was wrong when he be. |
lieved he had startled her into con
Tossing Best's bid TO be under $40 900.
She was so very simple after all of
business affairs-how innocently she
had told him Best's bid. Now he was |
at ease and he could stay for the even.
ing So he explained carefully how