ead and appeared outwardly calm, I was nervous, and I frankly
confess it.

I was weighing the situation in its various lights when Mr. Harding
spoke to me.

"Are you good at figures, Smith?" he asked.

"I can add, subtract, multiply and divide," I said with some confidence.

"Good!" he growled. "You've got nothing else to do, so you may as well
help me on multiplication and addition. Multiply these by those and add
'em up--right quick, won't you?"

He passed to me a piece of paper containing the following memorandum:

500................................68-1/2

1100................................67-3/4

4000................................67-1/2

300................................66-7/8

600................................66-1/2

1700................................65-1/2

200................................64

2300................................63-1/2

1000................................62-3/4

500................................61-1/4

3000................................60-1/2

1200................................59

300................................59-1/4

100................................58-7/8

400................................58-1/2

250................................59

1000....... ........................58-3/8

There were dates opposite the larger numerals, but these, of course, did
not enter into the computation.

Harding handed me a blank pad and resumed his study of other papers
which from time to time he produced from a large black-covered folio. It
took me some time to finish this calculation, but at last my task was
ended and I gave the slip to him.

"Sure that's right, Smith?" he asked, looking at the footing.

"Your 18,450 shares of N.O. & G. stock cost you exactly $1,174,815, Mr.
Harding, not including the commissions to your brokers," I said, calmly
as possible.

His big head swung quickly and he gazed at me with an expression of
abject surprise.

"Well I'll be--well--say, Smith, how in thunder did you get the idea
into your head that those figures stood for N.O. & G. stock?" he
demanded, after glancing at the slip to make sure that it contained no
tell-tale initials.

"Because the dates of purchase correspond with the quotations," I
responded, enjoying his amazement and wondering to what it would lead.
"I am only guessing that you bought, but o