sly.

"I don't know, sir," said Applerod; "but he telephoned me again just
as you were getting rid of this last caller. I told him that you were
here and he said that he would be right over."

Bobby made no reply to this, but went thoughtfully into his room and
closed the door after him. In less than five minutes the door opened,
and Mr. Applerod, his voice fairly oily with obsequiousness, announced
Mr. Frank L. Sharpe! Why, here is a man whose name was in the papers
every morning, noon and night! Mr. Sharpe had taken a trip to New York
on behalf of the Gas Company; Mr. Sharpe had returned from his trip to
New York on behalf of the Gas Company; Mr. Sharpe had entertained at
the Hotel Spender; Mr. Sharpe had made a speech; Mr. Sharpe had been
interviewed; Mr. Sharpe had been indisposed for half a day!

Quite prepossessing of appearance was Mr. Sharpe; a tall, rather
slight gentleman, whose features no one ever analyzed because the eyes
of the observer stopped, fascinated, at his mustache. That wonderful
adornment was wonderfully luxuriant, gray and curly, pretty to an
extreme, and kept most fastidiously trimmed, and it lifted when he
smiled to display a most engaging row of white, even teeth. Centered
upon this magnificent combination the gaze never roved to the animal
nose, to the lobeless ears, to the watery blue eyes half obscured by
the lower lids. He was immaculately, though a shade too youthfully,
dressed in a gray frock suit, with pearl-gray spats upon his shoes,
and he was most charmed to see young Mr. Burnit.

"You have a very neat little suite of offices here, Mr. Burnit," he
commented, seating himself gracefully and depositing his gray hat, his
gray cane and his gray gloves carefully to one side of him upon
Bobby's desk.

"I'm afraid they are a little too nice for practical purposes," Bobby
confessed. "I have found that business isn't a parlor game."

"Precisely what I came to see you about," said Mr. Sharpe. "I
understand you have been a trifle unfortunate, but that is because you
did not go into the regular channels. An established and paying
corporation is the only worth-while proposition, and if you have not
yet settled upon an investment I would like to suggest that you become
interested in our local Brightlight Electric Company."

"I thought there was no gas or electric stock for sale," said Bobby
slowly, clinging still to a vague impression that he had gained five
or six years before.

"Not to