, again bowing and pressing his hand to his heart,
"wiz so good a lady for his wife, I am sure he shall be so happy and so
proud." Detecting the small vein of eccentricity in the little woman's
character, Mr. Gusher was evidently inclined to encourage it, hoping
that it would still further develop her generosity.

"You are sure my investment will be perfectly safe?" enquired the little
woman, looking up anxiously in Mr. Gusher's face.

"Oh, madam!" rejoined Mr. Gusher. "Oh, mad-am! Perfectly, as you shall
zee. Ze honor of ze firm is pledged to zat."

The little woman now drew two thousand dollars from her satchel, and
after counting it on her knee, passed it to Mr. Gusher. "I will invest
this," she said, again looking up anxiously at Mr. Gusher, and then
fumbling over the contents of her satchel, as if it still contained
something she was in doubt how to dispose of. "I will take your word,"
she resumed, as if some sudden change had come over her mind. "Life's
short, and speculation uncertain. I am from Yonkers. You have heard of
Yonkers, sir? Yonkers on the Hudson. People of Yonkers are boiling over
with excitement about the great discovery. Thank you for your kindness,
sir. I hope the shares will go up. If I should double my money, as you
say I will, how father would laugh when he comes home. I call my good
husband father, you know." The little woman ran on in this strange and
confused manner until Gusher began to think she was never going to stop.

"Invested my money--independent--don't want nobody to know it. Will
invest another thousand dollars if it turns out right. Yonkers people
expect to get rich soon by Kidd shares. Nobody'll know it, you know.
Don't want nobody to know it, you know. Come down here to invest so
nobody would know it, you know--"

"I am so glad," interrupted Mr. Gusher, receiving the money, "you put
your confidence in ze house. You shall zee zat ze honor of ze firm shall
be your protection." As he proceeded to arrange the little equivalents
with the picture of the big spread eagle at the top and the coffer dam
at the bottom, the little woman fixed her gaze on the counting-room
furniture, which seemed to attract her attention to an uncommon degree.
Elaborately-finished and highly-polished mahogany desks were arranged
around the room, the floor was covered with a soft carpet, and there
were carved oak chairs, upholstered in green plush. The walls were hung
with engravings and paintings represen