of five hundred thousand I guess we can find a place for you."

"Let me understand," said Bobby. "By a valuation of five hundred
thousand dollars you mean that the Brightlight stock-holders can
exchange each share of their stock for one share in the Consolidated?"

"That's it, precisely," said Mr. Sharpe without a smile.

"You're joking," objected Bobby. "My stock in the Brightlight is worth
to-day one hundred and fifty dollars a share. My two hundred and sixty
thousand dollars' worth of stock in the Consolidated would not be
worth par, even, to-day. Why do you make this discrimination when you
are giving the stock-holders of the Consumers' an exchange of five
shares for one, and the stock-holders of the United an exchange of
twenty shares for nine?"

"We need both those companies," calmly explained Sharpe, "and we don't
need the Brightlight."

"Is that figure the best you will do?"

"Under the circumstances, yes."

"Very well then," said Bobby; "good day."

"By the way, Mr. Burnit," Sharpe said to him with a return of the
charming smile which had been conspicuously absent on this occasion,
"we needn't consider the talk entirely closed as yet. It might be
possible that we would be able, between now and the first of the next
month, when the consolidation is to be completed, to make you a much
more liberal offer to come in with us; to be one of us, in fact."

Bobby sat down again.

"How soon may I see you about it?" he asked.

"I'll let you know when things are shaped up right. By the way, Mr.
Burnit, you are a very young man yet, and just starting upon your
career. Really you ought to look about you a bit and study what
advantages you have in the way of personal influence and following."

"I have never counted that I had a 'following.'"

"I understand that you have a very strong one," insisted Sharpe. "What
you ought to do is to see Mr. Stone."

"I have been to see him," replied Bobby with a smile.

"So I understand," said Sharpe dryly. "By the way, next Tuesday I am
to be voted upon in the Idlers'. You are on the board of governors up
there, I believe?"

"Yes," said Bobby steadily.

Sharpe studied him for a moment.

"Well, come around and see me about this consolidation on Wednesday,"
he suggested, "and in the meantime have another talk with Stone. By
all means, go and see Stone."

* * * * *

"Johnson," asked Bobby, later, "what would you do if a man should ask