Hadn't you better go and see what he wants?
Father won't be home until after dinner, you can tell him." Harry turned.
"It's Mr.Martin," said he, and he went down to the gate to meet him.
"How do you do, Mr.President ?" said Mr.Martin.

"I rode over here this morning, and thought I would come and see you." Harry shook hands with his visitor, and invited him to walk into the house; but after Mr.Martin had dismounted and fastened his horse, he thought that the seat under the catalpa-tree looked so cool and inviting, that he proposed that they should sit down there and have a little chat.
"I have been thinking about the extension of your telegraph line," said the manager of the mica mine, "and have talked it over with our people.
They agree with me that it would be a good thing, and we have determined, if it suits you and your company, that we will advance the money necessary to carry out the scheme." "I'm glad to hear that," said Harry; "but, as I said before, you'll have to bear the whole expense, and it will cost a good deal to carry the line from the creek all the way to Hetertown." "Yes, it will cost some money," said Mr.Martin "but our idea is that you ought to have a complete line while you are about it, and that it ought to run from our mine to Hetertown." "From your mine to Hetertown!" exclaimed Harry, in astonishment.
"Yes," said Mr.Martin, smiling.

"That is the kind of a line that is really needed.

You see, our business is increasing, and we are buying land which we intend to sell out in small farms, and so expect to build up quite a little village out there in time.

So you can understand that we would like to be in direct communication with Richmond and the North.
And if we can have it by means of your line, we are ready to put the necessary funds into the work." Harry was so amazed at this statement, that he could hardly find words with which to express himself.
"Why, that would give us a regular, first-class telegraph line!" he exclaimed.
"Certainly," said Mr.Martin, "and that's the only kind of a line that is really worth anything." "I don't know what to think about it," said Harry.