chance of a life time. It means a lot to me and Fanny too."

"Yes, that's true," chimed in his fiancee.

Virginia turned and looked at her sister.

"How?" she demanded.

Jimmie, as usual, replied for his slower-witted partner:

"Do you think," he said, "I want to be a shipping clerk all my life?
Well, I don't. I've got ambitions. Yes, and I've got the ability. All
I need is a chance and I'd be one of 'em, too."

"One of what?"

"A captain of industry, a magnate, a financier."

"You!"

"Me."

"He could do it," exclaimed Fanny admiringly.

"You bet I could," he said positively. Turning to Virginia, he went
on: "And if you married Mr. Stafford and he gave me a chance, which as
his brother-in-law he certainly would--well, if I ever got a flying
start I'd show 'em a few things. I've got ability, I have."

"Why don't you prove it by getting eighteen dollars a week?" retorted
Virginia sarcastically.

Turning her back on him, she walked away and took a seat near the
window, where she could look out on the street. But he followed her:

"I thought you'd say something like that," he said. "It just shows how
much you know."

"Explain it to her, Jimmy," exclaimed Fanny.

"What's the good?" he replied scornfully. "She wouldn't understand.
But I will say this: If I had an opportunity to show some rich man
just what I could do, I'd be worth perhaps a million dollars in ten or
twelve years, and that would mean a swell house for you and me, and
servants, and automobiles and everything like that. I'd show 'em!"

Overcome by the vivid picture he had drawn, Fanny took his hands.
Enthusiastically she cried:

"Oh, Jimmy, wouldn't it be lovely? And perhaps we could get into real
society, too--perhaps we might meet the social leaders from Harlem and
Brooklyn whose pictures are in the papers every Sunday!"

"There'd be nobody we couldn't meet," he cried proudly.

"And fancy!" exclaimed Fanny--"fancy going to the dressmaker's,
picking out half a dozen dresses, having them sent home without even
asking the price, and letting them charge just as much as they like!
Wouldn't that be heavenly?"

"You can have all that and more," he cried exultingly.

Virginia shrugged her shoulders. The topic was becoming distasteful to
her. Impatiently she exclaimed:

"It's perfectly ridiculous!"

Going over to her sister, Fanny put her arm around her neck:

"All I want is for you to be happy, sis."

"I know it, dear," replied Virgi