was yours you wouldn't have Tom, Dick, and Harry driving fish carts
through it."

"Did I say that?"

"Yes. And you said, on another occasion, that anyone would sell anything
if they were offered money enough."

"Humph! Well, sometimes I say 'most anything but my prayers. Matildy
says I forget them pretty often, but I tell her her Friday night
speeches are long enough to make up. Maybe I meant what I said to you at
those times, Ros. I shouldn't wonder if I did. But 'twas a lie just the
same. There are things I wouldn't sell, of course. Nellie, my daughter's
one of 'em. She's goin' to get a good husband in George here, but
her happiness means more to me than money. She's one of the things I
wouldn't sell. And my Selectman's job is another. I fought for that,
not so much for the honor, or whatever you call it, but because--well,
because I wanted to show 'em that I could get it if I set out to. I
don't presume likely you can understand that feelin'."

"I think I can," I answered. "Mr. Colton gave about the same reason for
his determination to close the Lane. You and he seem to be a good deal
alike, after all."

He looked at me from beneath his bushy brows. His mouth twisted in a
grim smile.

"Say, son," he said, "if I hadn't been so free with my proclamations
about bein' your friend you and me would have a settlement for that
little bit of talk. The Emperor and me alike! Ugh!"

The next afternoon he came in again and asked me to step outside the
railing. He had something to say to me, he declared.

We sat down together on the settee by the wall.

"Ros," he said, in a low tone, "have you had any new offer for your
property? Not from Colton or the town, but from anybody else?"

"No," I answered. "What do you mean?"

"You ain't heard anything from a Boston firm claimin' to represent the
Bay Shore Development Company, or some such?"

"No. What sort of a company is that?"

"I don't know; that is, I don't know much about it. But there's talk
driftin' 'round that a Boston syndicate is cal'latin' to buy up all the
shore front land from South Ostable to the Bayport line and open it up
for summer house lots. The name is the Bay Shore Development Company, or
somethin' like that. You ain't heard from 'em, then?"

"Not a word. Where did your information come from?"

"From nobody in particular. It just seems to be in the air. Alvin Baker
heard it over to Ostable. The feller that told him got it from somebody
else, who