“Ef I do,” the man accused thundered from the hall, as he strode out, “it 'll be my money that's lost—money that I made by hard work.”
He stood before them, glaring over his eye-glasses at his wife. “I've had enough of yore tongue, my lady; ef I'd not had so much to think about in thar jest now I'd 'a' shut you up sooner. Dry up now—not another word! I'm doin' the best I kin accordin' to my lights to provide fer my children, an' I won't be interfered with.”
No one spoke for a moment. However, Mrs. Bishop finally retorted, as her brother knew she would, in her own time.
“I don't call buyin' thousands o' acres o' unsalable land providin' fer anything, except the pore-house,” she fumed.
“That's beca'se you don't happen to know as much about the business as I do,” said Bishop, with a satisfied chuckle, which, to the observant Daniel, sounded very much like exultation. “When you all know what I know you 'll be laughin' on t'other sides o' yore mouths.”
He started down the steps into the yard as if going to the row of bee-hives along the fence, but paused and came back. He had evidently changed his mind. “I reckon,” he said, “I 'll jest have to let you all know about this or I won't have a speck o' peace from now on. I didn't tell you at fust beca'se nobody kin keep a secret as well as the man it belongs to, an' I was afeerd it ud leak out an' damage my interests; but this last five thousand acres jest about sweeps all the best timber in the whole Cohutta section, an' I mought as well let up. I reckon you all know that ef—I say ef—my land was nigh a railroad it ud be low at five times what I paid fer it, don't you? Well, then! The long an' short of it is that I happen to be on the inside an' know that a railroad is goin' to be run from Blue Lick Junction to Darley. It 'll be started inside of the next yeer an' 'll run smack dab through my property. Thar now, you know more'n you thought you did, don't you?”
The little group stared into his glowing face incredulously.
“A railroad is to be built, father?” exclaimed Alan.
“That's what I said.”
Mrs. Bishop's eyes flashed with sudden hope, and then, as if remembering her husband's limitations, her face fell.