to 70, and Fred saw
old Bowles growing fidgety. The next day Fred sold five hundred shares
more at 72, they going to himself. Then the brokers began to hustle for
the stock, and found they could not get it. It went up to 82 before the
day closed. Bowles was desperate.

"See here, Halsey," he said to Fred, the day before the ten days were up
on his 5,000 shares, "I want to settle that thing now. I can't get the
stock at all."

"Wait till it is due," Fred suggested.

"To tell you the truth, Mr. Bowles, I haven't got that option. I sold
it to another man."

"To whom did you sell it?"

"To Bryant."

The next day the stock wont up to 90, and at that figure Bryant called
Bowles for 5,000 shares of the stock. It is a rule of the Stock Exchange
that where the stock sold cannot be delivered on demand the difference
between the purchase and delivery prices shall be paid in cash. At 90,
the difference was $23 per share, on 5.000 shares, making $115,000. When
the settlement was made, Fred generously allowed Bryant one-half the
profits. It put him on his feet again. The day after the settlement was
made Mrs. Bryant and Eva Gaines called at the office and asked for Fred.

"I have come to pay my note," she said to him.

"It is not yet due," he replied.

"No, but I have the money and want to pay it," and she laid down a big
roll of bills as she spoke. Fred took the money and gave her the note
she had signed.

"Now, Mr. Halsey," she said, as she tore up the note, "I want to say to
you that as long as I live I shall always have a feeling of lively
gratitude toward you for your kindness to me in this matter. You are the
one in all New York who would have loaned me that money."

"I am not sure of that," he replied, shaking his head.

"I am glad to know that you and Mr. Bryant are friends again," said Mrs.
Bryant. "He said you helped him out in a deal against that odious Mr.
Bowles the other day."

"Yes, we did manage to give the old man the headache, I believe."

"I was so glad when I heard it, for he is the meanest man in New York."

"That's a pretty hard thing to say of any one," Fred remarked, laughing.

They left the bank and Fred was smiling all over as he returned to his
private office.

"What will they think when they hear of the double wedding, I wonder?"
said he to himself. "I ought to have told them all, but it won't make
any difference, I guess. Hanged if I don't believe Eva Gaines would like
to have me ca