enough to inconvenience him at this especial
time when he was thinking of taking a wife.

Dolly Hardcastle knew nothing at all about this. Indeed, she knew
nothing about stockbroking. It seemed to her simply a pleasant, light,
gentlemanly profession, consisting principally in standing in
Throgmorton Street, with one's hat tilted backwards, smoking cigarettes,
eating oranges or strawberries according to the season, and talking
about cricket or football.

This was the first time she had been to Jack's office, and she was
prettily curious about everything--especially the telephone. She was not
satisfied until Jack had shown her how to work the apparatus.

The "ticker" was also an all-absorbing object of attention The
continuous "click, click," and the issuing of the tape without any
apparent motive power, had something of the supernatural about it. Dolly
looked at the white strips with wonder.

"What does this say, Jack? N-a-r-Narbatos, 2 1/2. What does it mean?"

Alas! Jack Cameron knew too well what it meant. Narbatos had gone down
with a "slump." When Miss Hardcastle called he was debating whether he
should sell. This quotation decided him.

"Dolly," said he hurriedly, "do you mind me leaving you for five minutes
alone while I run into the 'House'?"

No, Dolly did not mind. Business, of course, must be attended to. Jack
seized his hat, snatched a kiss, and vanished.

"Dear old Jack," said Dolly, seating herself at the office table and
staring at the ticker. "I wonder whether he has many callers? Whatever
shall I do if anybody comes?"

She was considering this matter, with the assistance of the paper-knife,
pressed against her pretty lips, when the sharp ting, ting, ting, of the
telephone startled her.

Somebody wanted to speak to Jack. It might be important. Hadn't she
better go to the telephone? It was so nice to be able to help her future
husband.

"I wonder whether I could imitate Jack's voice?"

She went to the telephone and did exactly as Jack had instructed her to
do. She heard a sepulchral voice say, "Are you there?"

"Yes," said Dolly boldly.

"I have an offer of 5,000 Rosebuds. Will you take the lot, as you said
you would when we were talking about them the other day? Wire just
come."

"Five thousand rosebuds!" cried Dolly, with flashing eyes and cheeks
like the flowers just mentioned. "Then Jack is going to have the church
decorated after all. Darling fellow; he hasn't even forgotten the wir