y with me lately--yesterday Blind Charlie invited me to
have supper with him. The supper was in his private dining-room; just
us two. I suspected that the old man was up to some game, and when I
saw the cocktails and whiskey and wine come on, I was pretty sure--for
you know, Miss West, when a crafty old politician of the Peck variety
wants to steal a little information from a man, his regulation scheme
is to get his man so drunk he doesn't know what he's talking about."

"I know. Go on!"

"I tried to beg off from the drinking. I told Mr. Peck I did not
drink. I liked it, I said, but I could not carry it. A glass or two
would put me under the table, so the only safe plan for me was to
leave it entirely alone. But he pressed me--and I took one. And he
pressed me again, and I took another--and another--and another--till
I'd had five or----"

"But you should never have done it!" cried Katherine in alarm.

Manning smiled at her reassuringly.

"I'm no drinking man, but I'm so put together that I can swallow a
gallon and then sign the pledge with as steady a hand as the president
of the W. C. T. U. But after the sixth drink I must have looked just
about right to Blind Charlie. He began to put cunning questions at me.
Little by little all my secrets leaked out. The farm lands were only a
blind. My real business in Westville was the water-works. There was a
chance that the city might sell them, and if I could get them I was
going to snap them up. In fact, I was going to make an offer to the
city in a very few days. I had been examining the system closely; it
wasn't really in bad shape at all; it was worth a lot more than the
people said; and I was ready, if I had to, to pay its full value to
get it--even more. I had plenty of money behind me, for I was
representing Mr. Seymour, the big New York capitalist."

"Good! Good!" cried Katharine breathlessly. "How did he seem to take
it?"

"I could see that he was stirred up, and I guessed that he was
thinking big thoughts."

"But did he say anything?"

"Not a word. Except that it was interesting."

"Ah!" It was an exclamation of disappointment. Then she instantly
added: "But of course he could not say anything until after he had
talked it over with Mr. Blake. He'll do that this morning--if he did
not do it last night. You may be approached by them to-day."

She stood up excitedly, and her brown eyes glowed. "After all,
something may come of the plan!"

"It's at least an