dam was to walk close behind them
on their way up the aisle of the church as a sort of fairy godfather
to give Phil away--the joyous little bird, followed by the happy young
lover, spread her dainty wings and flew away.

And thus it was that two new spirits were added to Adam Gregg's long
list of friends: One the young man, earnest, alert, losing no chance
in his business, awake to all the changes in the ever-shifting market,
conversant with every move of his opponents and meeting them with a
shrewdness--and sometimes, Adam thought--with a cunning far beyond his
years. The other, the fresh, outspoken, merry young girl, fluttering
in and out like a bird in her ever-changing plumage--now in hat loaded
with tea-roses, now in trim walking costume fitting her dainty figure;
now in her waterproof, her wee little feet "wringing wet" she would
tell Adam with a laugh--always a welcome guest, no matter who had his
chair, or whose portrait or what work required his brush.

VIII

One afternoon, some days after Philip's return from an inspection of
the mines of the Portage Copper Company, and an hour ahead of his
usual time, the velvet curtain was pushed aside and the young man
walked in. Not only did he move with his most important "bank
director's step," but he brought with him an air of responsibility
only seen in magnates who control the destinies of corporations and
the savings of their stockholders.

"What's the matter, Phil?" asked Adam with a laugh. "Have they made
you president of the Stock Exchange, or has the Government turned over
its deposits to your keeping, or has the wedding-day been set for
to-morrow?"

"Wedding-day's all right; closer than ever, but I've got something
that knocks being president of the Exchange cold. Our scheme is about
fixed up and it's to be floated next week--float anything on this
market--that's better than being president or anything else. Our
attorneys brought in the papers this morning, and they will be signed
at our office to-morrow at eleven-thirty. The Seaboard Trust Company
are going to take half the bonds and two out-of-town banks the
balance. That puts us on our legs and keeps us there, and I don't
mind telling you"--and he looked around as if fearing to be
overhead--"we've got to have this money or--Well, there's no use of my
going into that, because it's all over now, or will be when this
loan's floated. But I want to tell you that we've had some pretty
tough sledding