me, in a
little room on the second floor next his bedroom, which he had fixed up
as an office with a desk, a safe, and a leather chair, he consulted his
resources. There were so many things to think of. He went over again the
list of people whom he had seen and whom he could count on to
subscribe, and in so far as that was concerned--the award of one million
dollars--he was safe. He figured to make two per cent. on the total
transaction, or twenty thousand dollars. If he did he was going to buy
a house out on Girard Avenue beyond the Butlers', or, better yet, buy a
piece of ground and erect one; mortgaging house and property so to do.
His father was prospering nicely. He might want to build a house next to
him, and they could live side by side. His own business, aside from this
deal, would yield him ten thousand dollars this year. His street-car
investments, aggregating fifty thousand, were paying six per cent. His
wife's property, represented by this house, some government bonds, and
some real estate in West Philadelphia amounted to forty thousand more.
Between them they were rich; but he expected to be much richer. All he
needed now was to keep cool. If he succeeded in this bond-issue matter,
he could do it again and on a larger scale. There would be more issues.
He turned out the light after a while and went into his wife's boudoir,
where she was sleeping. The nurse and the children were in a room
beyond.

"Well, Lillian," he observed, when she awoke and turned over toward him,
"I think I have that bond matter that I was telling you about arranged
at last. I think I'll get a million of it, anyhow. That'll mean twenty
thousand. If I do we'll build out on Girard Avenue. That's going to be
the street. The college is making that neighborhood."

"That'll be fine, won't it, Frank!" she observed, and rubbed his arm as
he sat on the side of the bed.

Her remark was vaguely speculative.

"We'll have to show the Butlers some attention from now on. He's been
very nice to me and he's going to be useful--I can see that. He asked me
to bring you over some time. We must go. Be nice to his wife. He can do
a lot for me if he wants to. He has two daughters, too. We'll have to
have them over here."

"I'll have them to dinner sometime," she agreed cheerfully and
helpfully, "and I'll stop and take Mrs. Butler driving if she'll go, or
she can take me."

She had already learned that the Butlers were rather showy--the younger
genera