ce between the terminal of its route and the south side of
the Square he said abruptly:

"Some day I want you to do something for me."

"What?"

"To laugh aloud. I suppose you sometimes do laugh aloud, don't you?"

Her response was to break unconsciously into a peal of mirth that held
in it a tinkle of soft music and spontaneity.

"I can be provoked," she admitted and to that confession she added the
inquiry, "Why do you want to hear me laugh?"

"I did want to hear you laugh because some instinct told me there would
be music in it," he assured her. "Now I do want to hear you laugh again,
and often, because I know it."

When he had said good-night at her door and had walked across to the
Brevoort cab-stand at Eighth street, he took a taxi'. During the drive
home he thought only once of Loraine Haswell. "I must see more of Miss
Terroll," he informed himself. "She is decidedly interesting."

* * * * *

Hamilton Burton shoved back a mass of papers and smiled across his desk
at his secretary.

"Carl, do you chance to recall what General Forrest of the late
Confederate States of America had to say on the subject of strategy?"
Bristoll stretched his arms above his head and leaned back in his chair,
grateful for a moment of relaxation after two hours of application.

"I believe he reduced military science to the simple proposition of
'gettin' thar fust with the most men,' didn't he?"

"That was his correct formula--and finance has its points of
similarity."

"Is the comment general, or has it a specific bearing?"

"Quite specific. Do you remember my prophecy a short while back? I
reminded you that the coin of big business bore on one face the image
and superscription of Caesar Augustus Malone--and on the reverse my own
poor stamp."

The secretary nodded.

"The time, dear boy, is at hand when one side or the other must be
turned down."

"What has happened?" The younger man's voice was tinged with alarm. This
child of Destiny might be immune from fear, but those who stood near his
person could not always accept without question the talisman of his
limitless self-faith. Malone's might was theoretically invincible.
Hamilton recognized the undernote of apprehension with a laugh of frank
amusement; a laugh which brought to his eyes their most winning sparkle.

"The august over-lord of all the robber barons regards our reign as
tributary to his own. He fancies that our loyal respec