Page:Caroline Lockhart--The Fighting Shepherdess.djvu/387

 were at least a few of my daughter's friends. What she has said to-night gives the matter a new face. It is now a business proposition with me. I am no philanthropist where my interests or affections are not concerned.

"The offer I am about to make you can take or you can leave, but I've a notion self-interest will prevail over your temporary pique, since you no doubt realize that unless something is done almost immediately this segregated land will revert to the state.

"I will not pay any debts of former companies, and I will take over the controlling stock — not at the figure at which you are holding it, but at what I consider a fair price. I wiU enlarge the ditch and complete thq project so that it win meet every requirement of the state engineers and turn it over to the settlers under it when it has been demonstrated to be a complete success."

They thought he had done, and again looked at each other with deep-drawn breaths, when he resumed:

"There is one more condition upon which I insist: It is that in the purchase of the stock I deal with the stockholders direct. There shall be no commission paid to a go-between." He looked at Toomey as he spoke. "My reason for this is purely personal, but nevertheless my offer rests upon this stipulation." There was no mistaking the finality of his tone or the cold enmity of his voice.

In a night of surprises this seemed the climax. What did it mean, since there had not been the slightest hint that Toomey and Prentiss were not the warmest of friends? In the dramatic silence each could hear his neighbor breathe.

Toomey looked stunned, then, as he recovered himself, the vein in his temple swelled and his sallow face darkened to ugly belligerence.

"I don't understand this!" he cried, raising his voice