in the doorway.

"Turn to the Branch ledger and bring me a statement of Mr. George
Barker's account."

"He was here a moment ago," said North, essaying a confidential look
towards his chief.

"I know it," said Stacy coolly, without looking up.

"He's been running a good deal on wildcat lately," suggested North.

"I asked for his account, and not your opinion of it," said Stacy
shortly.

The subordinate withdrew somewhat abashed but still curious, and
returned presently with a ledger which he laid before his chief. Stacy
ran his eyes over the list of Barker's securities; it seemed to him that
all the wildest schemes of the past year stared him in the face. His
finger, however, stopped on the Wide West Extension. "Mr. Barker will be
wanting to sell some of this stock. What is it quoted at now?"

"Sixty."

"But I would prefer that Mr. Barker should not offer in the open market
at present. Give him seventy for it--private sale; that will be ten
thousand dollars paid to his credit. Advise the Branch of this at once,
and to keep the transaction quiet."

"Yes, sir," responded the clerk as he moved towards the door. But he
hesitated, and with another essay at confidence said insinuatingly, "I
always thought, sir, that Wide West would recover."

Stacy, perhaps not displeased to find what had evidently passed in his
subordinate's mind, looked at him and said dryly, "Then I would advise
you also to keep that opinion to yourself." But, clever as he was, he
had not anticipated the result. Mr. North, though a trusted employee,
was human. On arriving in the outer office he beckoned to one of the
lounging brokers, and in a low voice said, "I'll take two shares of Wide
West, if you can get it cheap."

The broker's face became alert and eager. "Yes, but I say, is anything
up?"

"I'm not here to give the business of the bank away," retorted North
severely; "take the order or leave it."

The man hurried away. Having thus vindicated his humanity by also
passing the snub he had received from Stacy to an inferior, he turned
away to carry out his master's instructions, yet secure in the belief
that he had profited by his superior discernment of the real reason
of that master's singular conduct. But when he returned to the private
room, in hopes of further revelations, Mr. Stacy was closeted with
another financial magnate, and had apparently divested his mind of the
whole affair.

CHAPTER II.

When George Barker ret