“Eh? Then what——”
“It’s a cipher telegram,” Katherine explained with an excited smile. “It means that he will arrive in Westville this afternoon, and will stay as long as I need him.”
“But what should he send that sort of a fool thing for?”
“Didn’t I tell you that he and I are to have no apparent relations whatever? An ordinary telegram, coming through that gossiping Mr. Gordon at the telegraph office, would have given us away. Now I’ve come to you to talk over with you some new plans for Mr. Manning. But first I want to tell you something else.”
She briefly outlined what she had learned the night before; and then, without waiting to hear out his ejaculations, rapidly continued: “I told Mr. Manning to come straight to you, on his arrival, to learn how matters stood. All my communications to him, and his to me, are to be through you. Tell him everything, including about last night.”
“And what is he to do?”
“I was just coming to that.” Her brown eyes were gleaming with excitement. “Here’s my plan. It seems to me that if Blind Charlie Peck could force his way into Mr. Blake’s scheme and become a partner in it, then Mr. Manning can, too.”
Old Hosie blinked.
“Eh? Eh? How?”
“You are to tell Mr. Manning that he is Mr. Hartsell, or whoever he pleases, a real estate dealer from the East, and that his ostensible business in Westville is to invest in farm lands. Buying in run-down or undrained farms at a low price and putting them in good condition, that’s a profitable business these days. Besides, since you are an agent for farm lands, that will explain his relations with you. Understand?”