young
_Mil_lard, or Mil_lard_, as he calls it. He's a sort of a dude, and I
never could stand dudes. I asked Mr. Masters the other day whether the
assistant cashier was worth so large a salary as five thousand dollars,
and he said that that man had the entry--the _ontray_, as he called
it--to the best houses in New York. He's cheek by jowl with a dozen of
the richest men, he's invited everywhere, and is considered a great
authority on all matters of that kind. He brings some business to the
bank, and he's one of the best judges in New York of a man's character
and responsibility. He knows all about pretty nearly every man whose
note is presented for discount, and, if he does not know at once, he can
generally find out in an hour. I believe he could tell us the name of
the grandmother of almost every prominent depositor if we wished to
know, and how every man got his money."

"Is he rich?"

"Well, nobody seems to know for certain. He has a large slice of the
bank's stock, and he's known to have good investments outside. He's well
enough off to live without his salary if he wanted to. But I am pretty
sure he isn't rich. Belongs to some old family, I suppose."

"I should be afraid of him," said Mrs. Hilbrough, ruefully.

"You needn't be. He's a good enough sort of fellow if he only wouldn't
part his hair in the middle. I can't abide that in a man. But it's no
use being afraid of him. He probably knows all about you and me already.
He first came to see me about coming into the bank, and I don't know but
it was his move to get me."

"Would he come up to dinner some evening?"

"He'd rather like to oblige me. I'll have to get him when he's
disengaged. What shall I tell him?"

"Tell him that Mrs. Hilbrough wishes his advice, and would be glad if he
would come to dinner with us some evening."

"Why do I need to say anything about your wanting advice? I don't just
like to ask a favor of such a dude. I'll ask him to dinner, and you can
ask his advice as though by accident."

"No; that won't do. That kind of man would see through it all. Tell him
that I wish his advice. That will show him that I recognize his position
as an authority. He'll like that better."

Warren Hilbrough suddenly discovered that his wife was cleverer--or, as
he would have said, "smarter"--than he had thought her.

"You are a good hand, Jenny," he said. "You'll win your game." And after
he had resumed the reading of his paper he looked over the to