mself chasing the
rainbow....

Mrs. LeCord carried the warfare into his own office. The late Mr. LeCord
had left her to face the world with a comfortable fortune and three
daughters, of whom the youngest was now married and the oldest was a
forlorn hope. To place the second was now her purpose, and the best
bargain on the market was young Grant. Caroline, she was sure, would
make a very acceptable wife, and the young lady herself confessed a
belief that she could love even a bold Westerner whose bank balance was
expressed in seven figures.

The fact that Grant avoided social functions only added zest to the
determination with which Mrs. LeCord carried the war into his own
office. She chose to consult him for advice on financial matters and she
came accompanied by Caroline, a young woman rather prepossessing in her
own right. The two were readily admitted into Grant's private office,
where they had opportunity not only to meet the young man in person, but
to satisfy their curiosity concerning the Bruce girl.

"I am Mrs. LeCord, Mr. Grant," the lady introduced herself. "This is my
daughter Caroline. We wish to consult you on certain financial matters,
privately, if you please."

Grant received them cordially. "I shall be glad to advise you, if I
can," he said.

Mrs. LeCord cast a significant glance at Phyllis Bruce.

"Miss Bruce is my private stenographer. You may speak with perfect
freedom."

Mrs. LeCord took up her subject after a moment's silence. "Mr. LeCord
left me not entirely unprovided for," she explained. "Almost a million
dollars in bonds and real estate made a comfortable protection for me
and my three daughters against the buffetings of a world which, as you
may have found, Mr. Grant, is not over-considerate."

"The buffetings of the world are an excellent training for the world's
affairs."

"Maybe so, maybe so," his visitor conceded. "However, there are other
trainings--trainings of finer quality, Mr. Grant--than those which have
to do with subsistence. I have been able to give my daughters the best
education that money could command, and, if I do say it, I permit myself
some gratification over the result. Gretta is comfortably and happily
married,--a young man of some distinction in the financial world--a Mr.
Powers, Mr. Newton Powers--you may happen to know him; Madge, I think,
is always going to be her mother's girl; Caroline is still heart-free,
although one can never tell--"

"Oh, mother!"