in my eagerness tumbled in where the fish was. Oh, here you are,
Miss Alden. We'll go right along, for it's about time."

"But you haven't explained," cried Mrs. Muir.

"We will when we come back," said the doctor.

"Oh, I'm merely going over to the chapel to help the doctor out with
the singing," said Madge, carelessly. "Good-by."

"Well," remarked Mr. Muir, _sotto voce_, "if I were a young fellow,
there's a trail I'd follow, and not that will-o'-the-wisp yonder."

"What did you say, Henry?" asked his wife.

"It will be hot in town to-morrow, Mary. It's growing confoundedly hot
in Wall Street."

"Nothing serious, Henry?"

"It's always serious there."

"Oh, well, you'll come out all right. It's a way you have."

Mr. Muir looked grim and troubled, but the piazza was dusky. "She
can't help me," he thought, "and if she was worrying she might hinder
me. Things are no worse, and they may soon be better. If I had fifty
thousand for a month, though, the strain would be over. She'd be
nagging me to take a lot of her money, and I'd see Wall Street sunk
first. Well, well, Wildmere and I may land together in the same
ditch."

For a few moments Graydon and Mr. Arnault sat on either side of the
broker's daughter, each seeking the advantage. The young lady enjoyed
the situation immensely, and for a time had the art to entertain
both. Arnault at last boldly and frankly took the initiative, saying,
"Please take a walk with me, Miss Wildmere. I have come all the way
from New York for the pleasure of an evening in your society. You will
excuse us, Mr. Muir. You have had to-day and will have to-morrow, for
I must take an early train."

Miss Wildmere laughed, and said: "I must go with you surely, or you
will think you have made a bad 'put' in railroad tickets, as well
as shares, for you are like the rest, I suppose;" and with a smiling
glance backward at Graydon she disappeared.

"You are mistaken," he said; "we foresaw this 'squeeze' in the market,
and have money to lend if the security is ample. We were never doing
better."

"Poor papa!" she sighed, "his securities are lacking, I suppose. He
does not write very cheerfully."

"His security is the best in the city, in my estimation. I'd take this
little hand in preference to government bonds."

"Oh, don't lend papa anything on that basis, for you would surely
manage to claim the collateral, or whatever you call it in your Wall
Street jargon."

"You are infinitely be