ed to feel how little I
dislike them."

As for me, I began to look upon Lattimore with more favor. I began to
catch Jim's enthusiasm and share his confidence. As we smoked together
in his rooms that evening, he made me the definite proposal that I go
into partnership with him. We talked about the business, and discussed
its possibilities.

"I don't ask you to believe all my prophecies," said he; "but isn't the
situation fairly good, just as it is?"

"I think well of it," I answered, "and it's mighty kind of you to ask me
to come. I'll go as far as to say that if it depends solely on me, we
shall come. As for these prophecies of yours, I am in candor bound to
say that I half believe them."

"Now you _are_ shouting," said he. "Never better prophecies anywhere.
But consider the matter aside from them. Then all we clean up in the
prophecy department will be velvet, absolute velvet!"

"I can add something to the output of the prophecy department," said
Alice, when I repeated the phrase; "and that is that there will be some
affairs of the heart mingled with the real estate and insurance before
long. I can see them in embryo now."

"If it's Jim and Miss Trescott you mean, I wish the affair well," said
I. "I'm quite charmed with her."

"Well," said Alice, "from the standpoint of most men, Miss Hinckley
isn't to be left out of the reckoning in such matters. What a face and
figure she has! Miss Addison is too prudish and churchified; but I like
Miss Hinckley."

"Yes," said I; "but Miss Trescott seems, somehow, to have been known to
one, in some tender and touching relation. There's that about her which
appeals to one, like some embodiment of the abstract idea of woman.
That's why one feels as if he had risked his life for her, and protected
her, and seen her suffer wrong, and all that--"

"That's only because of that affair you told me of," said my wife.
"Since I've seen her, I've made up my mind that you misconstrued the
matter utterly. There was really nothing to it."

In a week I wrote to Mr. Elkins, accepting his proposal, and promising
to close up my affairs, remove to Lattimore, and join with him.

"I do not feel myself equal to playing the part of either Romulus or
Remus in founding your new Rome," I wrote; "but I think as a writer of
fire-insurance policies, and keeping the office work up, I may prove
myself not entirely a deadhead. My wife asks how the breathing-spaces
for the populace are coming on?"

An