he drove by home yesterday and called me out to the gate. He says
land has gone down on account of the new railroad passing on the other
side of the mountain, and that we both made a big mistake in paying as
much as we did."

"The old liar!" Henley cried. "The road's coming to Chester, and he
knows it. He thinks Chester will grow, and your farm will be cut up into
town building sites. He's determined to get your property by hook or
crook. Some'n must be done, and that right off. Let me study a minute."

Henley went to the side-door and looked out. Dixie saw him step down
into the junk-filled yard, and move aimlessly about from one spot to
another, his hands locked behind him. His head was bowed, and his fine,
strong face darkened by a steady frown. Jim Cahews came looking for him
to ask some question, but he waved him away. Dixie heard him cry out
impatiently: "Don't bother me!--let me alone! For the Lord's sake, go
back, go back!"

Cahews returned to his customer, and Dixie remained seated, her eyes
fixed on Henley. He seemed to have forgotten that she was near; he
seemed scarcely to know where he was himself, for once he drew himself
to a seat on a big dry-goods box and sat swinging his legs to and fro,
his gaze on the cloud-flecked sky. Then the pendulum-like movement, the
pounding of his heels would cease; with a hand clutching the box on
either side of him he would lean forward, lock his feet together beneath
him, and bite his lip. Suddenly he got down and came back to her, a
certain light of decision in his eyes.

"I've tackled a heap of jobs," he said, as he sat down beside her, "and
I've beat old Welborne more than once, but I generally steer clear of
him. I've been trying to think up some way to thwart him, but it is
powerful hard to devise any means to get at him. Now, if we just could
manage to get him to make his give-or-take offer before a witness we'd
have him good and tight, but he'd be too slick to do it. If he did make
it, you see, you could plank down the money I'll lend you and settle the
thing on the spot. Now listen, Dixie, there is only one possible way
open, and that is to trick the old scamp into writing down his offer and
signing it. I know something I'd like to try on if you'd forgive me for
the--the false light I'd have to put you in for a few minutes."

"False light? Why, what do you mean, Alfred?"

"Why, it's like this, amongst business men"--Henley flushed to the
eyes--"now and then