The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-05-08
A Girl and q Secret.
By Alice Louise Lee.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


Gails 10 arrange concerning the pur-
chase of the South Bluff before Ham
anond took the express 10 New York.
If any one should have overheard
US, he began, as the whistle Of the
express sounded far down the valley,
lit might cost MS pretty dear. lie
glanced neryously round the dark end
of the station platform, watch was
covered with boxes.
Brown rose from a seat on a box.
"No danger he returned, abstracted-
Iy. Coasts clear; nothing here but
freight" mOtioning at the same time
toward the lighted end OF the plat
form. "The ears are all up there"
Hammond picked up his sult case
with a brief nod. "A pair OF good
ears just now might easily ruin our
plans. once let those North Bluff
fellows get hold OF the fact that we
are after the South Bluff, and they'd
wake up TO its value in hurry
And with more money than we
can muster" added Brown.
The two walked slowly toward the
upper end of the platform, Hammond
returning again to the matter they
Rad been discussing.
We'll, I'll be back in n few days
with the deed-if nothing happens.
In the meantime I'll keep my eyes
open for "A manager. It's hard to get
n good manager-harder than capital
and quarry-a man who'll keep his
nouth shut, his eyes open, and at
Gend to business
His speech was interrupted by
Brown. Brown glanced over his
shoulder, smothered an exclamation,
and grasped the others arm. Look
there!" he commanded. Hammond
saw and understood.
A figure emerged from behind a
pile of boxes just back of the spot
where they had been discussing bust
ness secrets, small, girlish figure,
which fastened past them and into
che light just as the train drew into
che station.
ITS Tupper's girl" exclaimed
Brown. "Anne Tupper! I've heard
my wife speak of her often"
"Do you suppose she heard" de-
manded Hammond, blankly. cor has
Sne just come on the PLATFORM"
Brown gave a low, perplexed
whistle, but not direct reply. And
Tupper owns n lot of real estate here
most of it on the north side. This
business will play right into his hands
and into theirs"
BY the last pronoun Brown re-
rerred to the owners of the North
END quarry.
Hammond groancd what fools
we were to talk" he began.
All aboard" shouted the brake
man beside the first car.
Hammond spoke rapidly: "I've
got to go on this train leave this
Anne What's-her-name in your hands.
IL she heard, she must be silencod-
0er father-maybe money"
"All aboard" shouted the last
brakeman, and the vestibule doors be-
gan to slam.
Wire me results" called Ham
mond from the rear platform, as the
train moved out, leaving a perpleXed
and anxious partner.
IS Brown took off his hat and
smoothed back his nair, not needing
a cloud OF dust which the departing
train threw into his face. His eyes
followed tall, stoop-shouldered man
whom the express had brought in,
and girl, the top of whose mead
barely reached her fathers shoulder.
We'll, Hammonds left me with a
woTse job than buying quarries," was
his conclusion, when a girl knows
"a thing. every one else hears it. Now
~ ] should so to her and offer her
muney to keep still HUH" He
put his hat on with a jerk. That's
all Hammond knows. In the first
place it wouldn't do at all, and in the
second place it would be only one
more thing for her to tell. The only
chance We have is that she didn't
hear"
He walked away slowly. II Anne
had been behind those freight boxes
she would have heard-what?
He-went over the conversation care
fully and ruefully. That they, Ham
mchd and Brown, almost had their
hands on the South Bluff-almost but
net quite, with the owners of the
North BLUM quarries just awakening
TO the fact that South Bluff was the
more valuable piece OF quarry prop
erty. Once an intimation reached
them of Brown and Hammond's S
move
We'll, with their capital Il would
be all up with us!" groaned Brown.
Fools that we were TO talk It out
on the platform-but she couldn't
have heard, surely.
He passed the pretty vine-clad
hotel where he had been taying all
summer with his wife. The little
town had started in the centre OF
the valley beside the Susquehanna,
but the North Bluff quarry had drawn
-