is feet again if he failed; but it would be uphill work. And his
father! His father would be pulled down with him. It was probable
that he would be forced out of the presidency of his bank. With these
thoughts Cowperwood sat there waiting. As he did so Aileen Butler was
announced by his office-boy, and at the same time Albert Stires.

"Show in Miss Butler," he said, getting up. "Tell Mr. Stires to wait."
Aileen came briskly, vigorously in, her beautiful body clothed as
decoratively as ever. The street suit that she wore was of a light
golden-brown broadcloth, faceted with small, dark-red buttons. Her head
was decorated with a brownish-red shake of a type she had learned was
becoming to her, brimless and with a trailing plume, and her throat was
graced by a three-strand necklace of gold beads. Her hands were smoothly
gloved as usual, and her little feet daintily shod. There was a look
of girlish distress in her eyes, which, however, she was trying hard to
conceal.

"Honey," she exclaimed, on seeing him, her arms extended--"what is the
trouble? I wanted so much to ask you the other night. You're not going
to fail, are you? I heard father and Owen talking about you last night."

"What did they say?" he inquired, putting his arm around her and looking
quietly into her nervous eyes.

"Oh, you know, I think papa is very angry with you. He suspects. Some
one sent him an anonymous letter. He tried to get it out of me last
night, but he didn't succeed. I denied everything. I was in here twice
this morning to see you, but you were out. I was so afraid that he might
see you first, and that you might say something."

"Me, Aileen?"

"Well, no, not exactly. I didn't think that. I don't know what I
thought. Oh, honey, I've been so worried. You know, I didn't sleep at
all. I thought I was stronger than that; but I was so worried about you.
You know, he put me in a strong light by his desk, where he could see my
face, and then he showed me the letter. I was so astonished for a moment
I hardly know what I said or how I looked."

"What did you say?"

"Why, I said: 'What a shame! It isn't so!' But I didn't say it right
away. My heart was going like a trip-hammer. I'm afraid he must have
been able to tell something from my face. I could hardly get my breath."

"He's a shrewd man, your father," he commented. "He knows something
about life. Now you see how difficult these situations are. It's a
blessing he decided to show you the le