“Father, it was planned!”
“Eh?” said he.
“Father,” she demanded excitedly, “do you know what the great public service corporations are doing now?” Her words rushed on, not waiting for an answer. “They have got hold of almost all the valuable public utilities in the great cities, and now they are turning to a fresh field—the small cities. Westville is a rich chance in a small way. It has only thirty thousand inhabitants now. But it is growing. Some day it will have fifty thousand—a hundred thousand.”
“That’s what people say.”
“If a private company could get hold of the water-works, the system would not only be richly profitable at once, but it would be worth a fortune as the city grows. Now if a company, a clever company, wanted to buy in the water-works, what would be their first move?”
“To make an offer, I suppose.”
“Never! Their first step would be to try to make the people want to sell. And how would they try to make the people want to sell?”
“Why—why——”
“By making the water-works fail!” Her excitement was mounting; she caught his shoulders. “Fail so badly that the people would be disgusted, just as they now are, and willing to sell at any price. And now, father—and now, father—” he could feel her quivering all over—“listen to me! We’re coming to the point! How would they make the water-works fail?”
He could only blink at her.