but he says his business is very important and he will
not detain you long. He also wishes to see Mr. Dick, and he has a young
man with him."

"Show him in," said Mr. Hamilton. "Must be somebody with money," he
added to his son as the messenger departed, "or McIverson would never be
so puffed up. He loves to announce anyone whom he believes is wealthy,
but I don't know of anyone, with any great amount of cash, who is coming
to see me to-day."

"Mr. Henry Darby, senior and junior," announced Archibald Spreckles
McIverson with a grand air, as he held the door of the private office
open so that "Hank" Darby and Henry might enter. Then McIverson softly
closed the portal.

"Ahem!" remarked Hank, almost as pompously as had the bank messenger.
"Fine day, Mr. Hamilton."

Dick looked at Henry's father in amazement. The man was dressed in a new
suit of black, and wore a silk hat. He had a necktie of vivid purple,
and a red pink was in his buttonhole. He took off his tall hat and wiped
his shining bald head with a big red silk handkerchief. No wonder he had
impressed McIverson. Henry looked a little embarrassed, but Dick nodded
at him in a friendly way, and made room for him on the sofa upon which
he was sitting.

"I have called upon a little matter of business," said Mr. Darby,
carefully depositing his hat on the carpet. "I and my son here," and he
nodded in Henry's direction. "I may also add that your son is
interested--er--to a considerable extent. In fact, I may say to an equal
extent with ourselves."

"I wonder what's coming?" thought Mr. Hamilton, who had never seen Hank
so well dressed, and who knew the man to be the laziest fellow in
Hamilton Corners.

"Your son, Mr. Hamilton," went on Hank Darby, with a grand air that was
strangely in contrast with his former attitude when one met him about
town, "your son, I may state, has been the means of doing something
which I long have desired to see done. He has enabled me and my son to
start in business--a business that, while it is small, is capable of
enormous possibilities--_enormous possibilities_," and Mr. Darby looked
as if he would puff up like a balloon and float out of the window.

"In short," he went on, "he has loaned my son two hundred and fifty
dollars, for which Henry has given his note. Of course, that is no
legal security, and when I heard about it I at once set about putting
the matter on a business basis."

"I don't understand," said Mr. Hamilton.