“Yes. What next?”
“Secretly, he is to go around studying the water-works. Only not so secretly that he won’t be noticed.”
“But what’s that for?”
“Buying farm land is only a blind to hide his real business,” she went on rapidly. “His real business here is to look into the condition of the water-works with a view to buying them in. He is a private agent of Seymour & Burnett; you remember I am empowered to buy the system for Mr. Seymour. When Mr. Blake and Mr. Peck discover that a man is secretly examining the water-works—and they’ll discover it all right; when they discover that this man is the agent of Mr. Seymour, with all the Seymour millions behind him—and we’ll see that they discover that, too—don’t you see that when they make these discoveries this may set them to thinking, and something may happen?”
“I don’t just see it yet,” said Old Hosie slowly, “but it sounds like there might be something mighty big there.”
“When Mr. Blake learns there is another secret buyer in the field, a rival buyer ready and able to run the price up to three times what he expects to pay—why, he’ll see danger of his whole plan going to ruin. Won’t his natural impulse be, rather than run such a risk, to try to take the new man in?—just as he took in Blind Charlie Peck?”
“I see! I see!” exclaimed Old Hosie. “By George, it’s mighty clever! Then what next?”
“I can’t see that far. But with Mr. Manning on the inside, our case is won.”
Old Hosie leaned forward.
“It’s great! Great! If you’re not above shaking hands with a mere man——”