hen a farmer took a few sacks of potatoes to
the railway and another a sack of wool. There was no difficulty about the
tender, because Osborn was chairman of the small Slate Company; the
trouble was that the contract would help Bell to carry out another plan.
The fellow was greedy, and was getting a rather dangerous control; he had
already a lease of the limekilns and Allerby mill. But his rents were
regularly paid, and it was an advantage to deal with one prosperous
tenant instead of several who had not his punctuality and capital.

"The trailer would be useful if you decided to make the new terrace you
thought about," Hayes suggested. "The cost of carting the gravel and the
slabs for the wall would be heavy; but I have no doubt Mr. Bell would
undertake the work with the trailer on very reasonable terms."

"I might forget to send in t' bill. Yan good turn deserves another,"
Bell remarked.

Hayes frowned. He had meant to imply something like this, but Bell was
too blunt. For all that, Osborn was not very fastidious and had long
meant to make the terrace when funds permitted. In fact, he hardly saw
the thing as a bribe; it was rather a graceful recognition of his
authority.

"Very well," he said, "I'll sign the contract."

"There is another matter," Hayes resumed. "Mr. Bell is willing to take up
Harkness' tenancy of the coal yard and seed store at the station. He
hopes you will grant him a long lease."

Osborn pondered. Harkness had been drunken, careless, and often behind
with his rent. He had let his business fall away and it was understood
that Bell, who managed the opposition coal yard, had lent him small sums
and until recently kept him on his feet. This was not because Bell was
charitable, but because if Harkness came down while he had any trade
left, a capable rival might take his place. In the meantime, his
customers gradually went to Bell, and now Harkness had failed there was
no business to attract a newcomer.

"I don't know," said Osborn, "I had thought of advertising the yard
and store."

"You'll get nobody to pay what I'm offering," Bell replied. "A stranger
would want to see Harkness' books and there's nowt in them as would tempt
him to pay a decent rent. Then, with trailer going back from station, I
could beat him on the haulage up the dale. He'd niver get his money back
if he bowt an engine like mine."

This was plausible, but Osborn hesitated. He saw that Bell wanted a
monopoly and had a vague