tty fine-looking girls," observed Lee to Ray and Drew.

"Yes," assented Ray. "You know them?"

"Well, no, not directly, but Captain Carroll and I are quite intimate
in a business way."

The druggist looked up eagerly. "You think he is good?" he asked.

"I have heard some queer things lately," said the postmaster.

Lee faced them both. "Good?" he cried. "Good? Arthur Carroll good?
Why, I'd be willing to risk every dollar I have in the world, or ever
hope to have. He's the smartest business man I ever saw in my life. I
tell you he's A No. 1. He's got a business head equal to any on the
Street, I don't care who it is. Well, all I have to say, _I_ am not
afraid of him! No, sir!"

"I heard he had some pretty promising stock to sell," said the
postmaster.

"Promising? No, it is not promising! Promising is not the word for
it. It is sure, dead sure."

Little Willy Eddy drew very near.

"What is it selling at?" asked Ray.

"One dollar and sixty cents," replied Lee, with an intonation of
pride and triumph.

"Cheap enough," said Ray.

"Yes, sir, one dollar and sixty cents, and it will be up to five in
six months and paying dividends, and up to fifty, with ten-per-cent.
dividends, in a year and a half."

Little Willy Eddy had in the savings-bank a little money. Before he
left he had arranged with Henry Lee to invest it through his
influence with the great man, Carroll, and say nothing about it to
any one outside. Willy hoped fondly that his Minna might know nothing
about it until he should surprise her with the proceeds of his great
venture. Then Willy Eddy marched boldly upon the soda-fountain.

"Give me a chocolate ice-cream soda," he said, like a man.

Chapter XIII

Three days later, at dinner, Charlotte Carroll said something about
the difficulty she had had about getting the check cashed.

"It is the queerest thing," said she, in a lull of the conversation,
pausing with her soup-spoon lifted, "how very difficult it is to get
a check for even a small amount cashed in Banbridge."

Carroll's spoon clattered against his plate. "What do you mean?" he
asked, sharply.

Charlotte looked at him surprised. "Why, nothing," said she, "only I
went to every store in town to get your check for twenty-five dollars
cashed, and then I had to go to Anderson's finally. I should think
they must be very poor here. Are they, papa?"

Carroll went on with his soup. "Who gave you the check to cash?" he
said, in a low v