the door an inch,
and stood tensely waiting beside it. Presently, through the calm of
the Sabbath evening, there started up very near the sudden buzzing of
a cranked-up car. Then swiftly the buzzing faded away into the
distance.

Katherine turned.

"It's Mr. Blake's car. They'll all be at The Sycamores in half an
hour. It's a bite, certain! Get hold of Mr. Manning as soon as he
comes back, and bring him here. The house will be darkened, but the
front door will be unlocked. Come right in. Come as late as you
please. You'll find me waiting here in the parlour."

The hours that followed were trying ones for Katherine. She sat about
with her aunt till toward ten o'clock. Then her father returned from
his last call, and soon thereafter they all went to their rooms.
Katherine remained upstairs till she thought her father and aunt were
settled, then slipped down to the parlour, set the front door ajar,
and sat waiting in the darkness. She heard the Court House clock with
judicial slowness count off eleven o'clock--then after a long, long
space, count off twelve. A few minutes later she heard Blake's car
return, and after a time she heard the city clock strike one.

It was close upon two when soft steps sounded upon the porch and the
front door opened. She silently shook hands with her two vague
visitors.

"We didn't think it safe to come any sooner," explained Old Hosie in a
whisper.

"You've been with them out at The Sycamores?" Katherine eagerly
inquired of Manning.

"Yes. For a four hours' session."

"Well?"

"Well, so far it looks O. K."

In a low voice he detailed to Katherine how they had at first fenced
with one another; how at length he had told them that he had a formal
proposal to the city to buy the water-works all drawn up and that on
the morrow he was going to present it--and that, furthermore, he
would, if necessary, increase the sum he offered in that proposal to
the full value of the plant. Blake and Peck, after a slow approach to
the subject, in which they admitted that they also planned to buy the
system, had suggested that, inasmuch as he was only an agent and there
would be no profit in the purchase to him personally, he abandon his
purpose. If he would do this they would make it richly worth his
while. He had replied that this was such a different plan from that
which he had been considering that he must have time to think it over
and would give them his answer to-morrow. On which understan