Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1908-05-15
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{ A Girl and a Secret. i
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) By Alice Louise Lee. =
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I lie place--but there were q few de-
/ tails TO arrange concerning the pur-
! chase OF the South Bluff before Ham
, mond took the express to New York
If any one should have overheard
u.s." he began. as the whistle Of the
express sounded far down the valley,
1T might cost us pretty dear" He
glanced nervously round the dark end
Of the station platform, which was
covered with boxes.
Brown rose from seat on a box.
No danger" he returned. abstractsd-
~ 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 suit case
with 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
had been discussing.
swell, I'll be back in 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
good manager-harder than capital
and quarry-a man who'll keep his
mouth shut, his eyes open, and at
tend to business"
His speech was interrupted by
Brown. Brown glanced over his
shoulder. smothered an exclamation,
and grasped the others arm. Look
therel" 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 hastened past them and into
the light Just as the train drew into
the station
It's Tupper's girl" exclaimed
Brown. "Anne Tupperi I've heard
my wife speak OF her often
"Do you suppose she heard.n de-
manded Hammond. blankly, -or has
she just come on the platform"
Brown gave a low. perplexed
whistle, but not direct reply. And
Tupper owns 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-
ferred to the owners of the North
End quarry.
Hammond groaned. what fools
we were to talk" he began.
"All aboard!" shouted the brake
man beside the first car.
Hammond spoke rapidly. ave
got to go on this train-I leave this
Anne What's-her-nsme in your hands.
If she heard, she must be silenced-
her father-maybe money
IAN aboardis 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.
Brown took OFF his hat and
smoothed back his hair, not needing
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 a girl, the top of whose mead
barely reached her fathers shoulder.
We'll, Hammond's left me with a
worse job than buying quarries. was
his conclusion. when a girl knows
thing, every one else hears it. Now
If l should go to her and offer her
money to keep still Huhi" 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 1t 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-whats
He-went over the conversation care
fully and ruefully. That they, Ham
mond and Brown, almost had their
hands on the South Bluff-almost but
not quite, with the owners OF the
North Bluff 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
move
Well, with their capital II would
be all up with us!7 groaned Brown.
Fools that we were to talk il out
on the platform-but she couldn't
have heard, surely.
He passed the pretty vlne-clad
hotel where he had been .taying all
summer with his wife. The little
town had started in the centre oil
the valley beside the Susquehanna,
but the North Bluff quarry had drawn
the business part north, making the
land more valuable on that slde-and
here Anne's father dealt largely in
real estate. On the opposite side OF
the valley rose South Bluff, to which
a Government geologist had recently
called attention. with the assurance
that Its underlying strata were but
combinations of those being quarried
across the valiey-a valley which the
Susquehanna had worn through
countless ages. Ii the South Bluff
were purchased and developed accord
ing to Hammond and Browns pro-
gram, it would mean that land values
would rise south of the town and de-
preciate on the north.
Which, of course" reflected
Brown, ~Tupper will not enjoy. It's
certainly to his interest that Anne
heard and tells; it will give him
chance to sell his lots while he cal
make something on them. But did
the girl hear?"
The following morning, at the
breakfast table. hiding his anxiety be-
hind a newspaper. he questioned his
wife concerning Anne.
What kind of girl is Anne Tup-
pert" repeated Mrs. Brown. enthusi-