"So you _did_ notice me a bit when you were working around the little kitchen of that flat?" chuckled the young man.

"Well!" gasped Lyddy. "I couldn't very well help remembering how you looked the night of the fire when you came sliding across to our window on that plank. _That_ was so ridiculous!"

"Just so," responded Harris, calmly. "Now, please be still, young ladies and--watch the professor!"

And for an hour the girls did actually manage to keep as still as mice.

Their friend certainly was absorbed in the work before him. He tested one sample of water after another, and finally went back and did the work all over upon one particular bottle that he had brought down from Spink's hiding place among the rocks.

"Just as I thought," he declared, with a satisfied smile. "And just as father suspected. Prepared to be surprised--pleasantly. Your Aunt Jane must be warned not to sell Hillcrest at _any_ price--just yet."

"Oh, why not?" cried 'Phemie.

"Because I believe there is a valuable mineral spring on it. This is a sample of it here. Mineral waters with such medicinal properties as this contains can be put on the market at an enormous profit for the owner of the spring.

"I won't go into the scientific jargon of it now," he concluded. "But the spring is here--up there among the rocks. Spink knows where it is. That is his secret. _We_ must learn where the water flows from, and likewise, see to it that your Aunt Jane makes no sale of the place until the matter is well thrashed out and the value of the water privilege discovered."

CHAPTER XXIX

AN AUTOMOBILE RACE

Lyddy was to write to Aunt Jane the next day. That was the decision when Harris started for town after breakfast, too. No time was to be lost in acquainting Aunt Jane with the fact that the old doctor spoke truly when he had said that "there were curative waters on Hillcrest."

In Dr. Polly Phelps's day a mineral spring would have been of small value compared to what it would be worth now. Jud Spink, of course, had known something about the old doctor's using in his practise the water from somewhere among the rocks. On the lookout for every chance to make money in these days, the owner of "Stonehedge Bitters" and "Diamond Grits--the Breakfast of the Million" had determined to get hold of Hillcrest and put the mineral water on the market--if so be the spring was to be discovered.

Too penurious to take any risk, however, Spink had wished to be sure that the mineral spring was there, and of its value, before he risked his good money in the purchase of the property.

The question now was: Had he satisfied himself as to these facts? Had he found the mineral spring quite by chance, and was he not still in doubt as to the wisdom of buying Hillcrest?

It would seem, by his trying to get at the old doctor's papers, that Spink wished to a.s.sure himself further before he went ahead with his scheme.

"We'll put a spoke in his wheel--that's sure," said Harris, as he bade the two girls good-bye that Monday morning, while Lucas and the restive ponies waited for him.

In two hours he was back at the farmhouse. The ponies stopped at the door all of a lather, and both Harris and Lucas looked desperately excited.

Tom Castle, as well as the Bray girls, ran out to see what was the matter.

"He's off!" shouted Lucas Pritchett. "He's goin' to beat ye to it!"

"What _are_ you talking about, Lucas?" demanded 'Phemie.

"Where does your aunt live, Miss Lyddy?" asked the young chemist. "Not at Easthampton?"

"No. At Hambleton. She is at home now----"

"And that Spink just bought a ticket for Hambleton, and has taken the train for that particular burg," declared Harris, with emphasis. "If I'd only been sure of your Aunt Jane's address I would have gone with him."

"Do you really think he's gone to try to buy the farm of her?" questioned Lyddy.

"I most certainly do. He couldn't have made connections easily had he started yesterday after you drove him away from Hillcrest. But he's after the farm."

"And she'll sell it! she'll sell it!" wailed 'Phemie.

"Perhaps not," ventured Lyddy, but her lips were white.

"He can get an option. That's enough," urged Harris. "We've got to head him off."

"How?" cried the older girl, clasping her hands.

"Jumping horse chestnuts!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Tom Castle. "It's a cinch! It's easy. You can beat that fellow to Hambleton by way of Adams----"

"But there's no other train that connects at the junction till afternoon,"

objected Lucas.

"Aw, poof!" exclaimed Tom. "Haven't we got the old buzz-wagon right here?

I'll run and see father. He'll let me take it. We'll go over the hill and down to Adams, and take the east road to Hambleton. Why, say! that Spink man won't beat us much."

"It's a great scheme, Tommy!" shouted Harris Colesworth "Go ahead. Tell your father I can run the car, if you can't."

In twenty minutes the big car was rolled out of the barn, and Mr. Castle came out to see the quartette off,--the two girls in the tonneau and Harris and Tom Castle on the front seat.

"You see that he doesn't play hob with that machine, Mr. Colesworth,"

called Mr. Castle, as they started. "It cost me seven thousand dollars."

"What's seven thousand dollars," demanded Master Tom, recklessly, "to putting the Indian sign on that Professor Spink?"

They were not at all sure, however, that they were going to be able to do this. Professor Spink might easily beat them to Aunt Jane's residence in Hambleton.

But at the speed Tom took the descent of the ridge on the other side, one might have thought that the professor was due to board a flying machine if he wished to travel faster. 'Phemie declared she lost her breath at the top of the hill and that it didn't overtake her again until they stopped at the public garage in Adams to get a supply of gasoline.

The boys behind the wind-break, and the girls crouching in the tonneau, saw little of the landscape through which the car rushed.

They rolled into Hambleton without mishap, and before noon. A word from Lyddy put Master Tom on the right track of Aunt Jane's house, for he had been in the town before.

"We're here quicker than we could have had a telegram delivered," declared Harris, as he helped the girls out of the car. "I'm going in with you, Miss Lyddy--if you don't mind?"

"Why, of course you shall come!" returned Lyddy, really allowing her grat.i.tude to "spill over" for the moment.

"Me--oh, my!" whispered 'Phemie, walking demurely behind them. "The end of the world has now _came_. Lyd is showing that poor young man some favor."

But 'Phemie, as well as the other two, grew serious when the girl who opened the door told them Mrs. Hammond had company in the parlor.

"Two gentlemen, Miss--on business," said the maid.

Just then they heard Professor Spink's booming voice.