“I thought I’d stay up a bit yet, Gran’pap; it’s so warm an’ pleasant to-night.”
“Well, I don’t mind if you do.”
After that there was silence for a time. Then there was the sound of a footstep on the walk, and a man came up out of the darkness. It was David Brown, the next neighbor to the west.
“Heard you were down to the river to-day, Mr. Pickett,” he said. “Wanted to see you a minute. Thought I wouldn’t disturb you till after you’d had your supper.”
“Just finished. Glad to see you. Come up on the stoop, David, and have a chair.”
Mr. Brown accepted the invitation very willingly.
“Thought I’d run down for a minute,” he continued, “and ask about the new railroad. Thought maybe you might ’a’ heard something about it down to the river.”
“What new railroad, David?”
“Why, the Delaware Valley and Eastern, I believe they call it. I noticed they were pointing pretty straight for my place when they quit to-night.”
“I don’t quite understand. Has there been more talk about railroads?”