d beauty, and--_money_" he added, after a moment's
reflection.

Mr. Clifton had a tolerably good opinion of himself, as may be inferred
from this remark. In fact, he valued himself rather more highly than the
ladies appeared to do; but such cases are not remarkable.

"Mrs. Clifton will be a lucky woman," said Dick, with a sober face.

"You're very kind to say so," said Mr. Clifton, modestly. "I believe I'm
tolerably good-looking, and nobody'll deny that I've got style. But
money,--that's my weak point. You couldn't lend me five dollars, could
you, till next week?"

"I'm afraid not," said Dick. "My up-town lots cost so much, and then
there'll be the taxes afterwards."

"Oh, it's of no consequence. I thought a little of going to the opera
to-night, and I need a new pair of gloves. It costs a sight to keep a
fellow in gloves."

"So it does," said Dick. "I bought a pair for fifty cents six months
ago, and now I've got to buy another pair."

"Ha, ha! good joke! By the way, I wonder you fellows don't take a better
room."

"Why should we? Isn't this good enough?" asked Fosdick.

"Oh, it's comfortable and all that," said Clifton; "but you know what I
mean. You wouldn't want any of your fashionable friends to call upon you
here."

"That's a fact," said Dick. "Suppose," he said, turning to Fosdick, with
a twinkle in his eye, "Johnny Nolan should call upon us here. What would
he think of our living in such a room?"

"He would probably be surprised," said Fosdick, entering into the joke.

"Is he one of your Madison-Avenue friends?" asked Clifton, a little
mystified.

"I don't know where he lives," said Dick, with truth; "but he's a friend
of mine, in business down town."

"Wholesale or retail?"

"Retail I should say,--shouldn't you, Fosdick?"

"Yes," said Fosdick, amused at Clifton's evident mystification.

"Well, good-evening, gents," said Clifton, sauntering out of the room.
"Call and see me when you haven't anything better to do."

"Thank you. Good-night."

"Were you in earnest, Dick, about the up-town lots," asked Fosdick,
after Clifton had left the room.

"Yes," said Dick. "It's an investment that Mr. Murdock advised. I'll
tell you about it, and then you can tell me what you think of it."

Dick thereupon gave an account of the conversation that had taken place
between him and the head clerk, and what they proposed to do. "What do
you think of it?" he concluded.

"I have no doubt it is an excellent