!"

"Good God! You must believe me. Listen! it was all a mistake--a
printer's error. I read in the paper that the stock for the First
Extension mine had gone up, when it should have been the Second. I
had some old stock of the First, which I had kept for years, and only
thought of when I read the announcement in the paper this morning. I
swear to you--"

But it was unnecessary. There was no doubting the truth of that
voice--that manner. The scorn fled from Miss Kitty's eyes to give place
to a stare, and then suddenly changed to two bubbling blue wells of
laughter. She went to the window and laughed. She sat down to the piano
and laughed. She caught up the handkerchief, and hiding half her rosy
face in it, laughed. She finally collapsed into an easy chair, and,
burying her brown head in its cushions, laughed long and confidentially
until she brought up suddenly against a sob. And then was still.

Barker was dreadfully alarmed. He had heard of hysterics before. He felt
he ought to do something. He moved toward her timidly, and gently drew
away her handkerchief. Alas! the blue wells were running over now.
He took her cold hands in his; he knelt beside her and passed his arm
around her waist. He drew her head upon his shoulder. He was not sure
that any of these things were effective until she suddenly lifted
her eyes to his with the last ray of mirth in them vanishing in a big
teardrop, put her arms round his neck, and sobbed:

"Oh, George! You blessed innocent!"

An eloquent silence was broken by a remorseful start from Barker.

"But I must go and warn my poor partners, dearest; there yet may be
time; perhaps they have not yet taken possession of your father's
claim."

"Yes, George dear," said the young girl, with sparkling eyes; "and tell
them to do so AT ONCE!"

"What?" gasped Barker.

"At once--do you hear?--or it may be too late! Go quick."

"But your father--Oh, I see, dearest, you will tell him all yourself,
and spare me."

"I shall do nothing so foolish, Georgey. Nor shall you! Don't you see
the note isn't due for a month? Stop! Have you told anybody but Paw and
me?"

"Only the bank manager."

She ran out of the room and returned in a minute tying the most
enchanting of hats by a ribbon under her oval chin. "I'll run over and
fix him," she said.

"Fix him?" returned Barker, aghast.

"Yes, I'll say your wicked partners have been playing a practical joke
on you, and he mustn't give you away. He'll