per cent, at least. If you want a thousand or so of it, I'll let you in
on the ground floor. Otherwise, I'll take it myself."

"That impresses me very favorably," answered Temple truthfully. "It is
an enterprise based upon sound principles--one that offers a supply in
direct answer to a demand. I shall probably decide to take a little of
that stock, if I can get some other securities to go with it. But for a
part of the money I have to invest, I must get stock in some already
established and assured business--I should especially like bank stock,
either in your bank or Captain Hallam's. You see----"

"Oh, yes, I see. You want a nest-egg that will certainly hatch out a
chicken. I'll find it for you. Let's leave that till to-morrow. Anyhow,
I'm an advocate of local investments. I'm putting every spare dollar
I've got into them, and I always advise investors to go into them. We're
planning--Hallam and I--to set up a gas plant here. The city needs it,
and it'll pay from the word go. I'll tell you about that to-morrow. You
see, I want you to know just what we're doing and planning, and then
we'll find the best places for you to put your money into. It's getting
late now, so we'll drive back to the bank. I told the cashier to wait
for us, though of course it's after banking hours."

On their return to the bank each of these men felt that he had "put in a
good day's work." Tandy was sure that by letting the young man have a
few shares in firmly established enterprises, he could "rope him in," as
he phrased it in his mind, for the purchase of some more doubtful
things. Temple, in his turn, was convinced that by buying into some of
Tandy's more speculative enterprises, he could ultimately secure the
shares he had been set to buy in the X National.

The telegraphic reply from the New York Bank had been received and was
altogether satisfactory. So, late as it was, Temple drew on New York for
twelve thousand dollars, and with the draft, opened a deposit account
for that amount in Tandy's bank.

Then he went to his hotel. His first impulse was to send a message to
Captain Will Hallam, asking whether he might take the barrel-factory
stock, and perhaps some other things of like kind, in aid of success in
his mission, but upon reflection he decided to act upon his own
judgment, without consultation or advice. Hallam had given him a free
hand, leaving him to work out the problem in his own way. Any
communication between him and Hall