readful question: How, how, HOW
could he go down to where she was sitting waiting and tell her that her
hopes, hopes which he had raised, were based solely upon the vaporings
of an optimistic donkey?

In his wrathful disgust with that donkey he shifted angrily in his chair
and his foot struck a bit of paper upon the floor. It rustled and the
rustle attracted his attention. Absently he stepped and picked up the
paper. It was the slip which had fallen from the Cabot, Bancroft and
Cabot letter and was a check drawn to his order for fourteen thousand,
three hundred and ten dollars and thirty-eight cents, his share of the
Tinplate "melon."

Fifteen more minutes passed before Mr. Bangs came down to the sitting
room, but when he did he came in a great hurry. He dashed into the
apartment and announced his intention of starting for Boston at once.

"And--and if you will be so kind as to let me have those--ah--shares of
yours, Miss Martha," he said.

Martha looked at him. She had been rather pale when he entered, but now
the color rushed to her face.

"Shares?" she repeated. "Do you mean--"

"Those--ah--Development shares of yours--yes. If you will be good enough
to let me take them with me--"

"Take them with you?... Oh, Mr. Bangs, you don't mean you have heard
from your cousin and that he is goin' to--"

"Yes--ah--yes," broke in Galusha, hastily. "I have heard. I am to--that
is, I must take the shares with me and go to Boston at once. If you will
be willing to entrust them to me, Miss Martha."

"I'll get 'em this minute." She started toward the stairs, but paused
and turned.

"Is it really settled, Mr. Bangs?" she asked, as if scarcely daring to
believe in the possibility. "Are they really goin' to buy that Wellmouth
stock of mine?"

"Why--why--" Galusha was yawing badly, but he clutched the helm and kept
on the course; "I--ah--hope so, Miss Martha, I hope so."

"And pay me--pay me MONEY for it?"

"I presume so. I hope so. If you will--"

"I declare, it doesn't seem possible! Who, for mercy sakes, is goin' to
buy it? Mr. Cabot, himself?"

He had been expecting this and was prepared for it. He had rehearsed
his answer many times before coming downstairs. He held up a protesting
hand.

"I am very sorry," he said, "but--but, you see, that is a--ah--secret,
I understand. Of course, they did not write me who was to buy the stock
and so--and so--"

"And so you don't know. Well, it doesn't make a bit of differen