In the meantime, his customers gradually went to Bell, and now Harkness had failed there was no business to attract a newcomer.
"I don't know," said Osborn, "I had thought of advertising the yard and store." "You'll get nobody to pay what I'm offering," Bell replied.

"A stranger would want to see Harkness' books and there's nowt in them as would tempt him to pay a decent rent.

Then, with trailer going back from station, I could beat him on the haulage up the dale.

He'd niver get his money back if he bowt an engine like mine." This was plausible, but Osborn hesitated.

He saw that Bell wanted a monopoly and had a vague notion that he ought to protect his tenants.
"It's sometimes an advantage to have two traders in a place," he remarked.