id Williams gallantly.

The two men were left alone with their cigars. After these were lighted,
as if he were carrying out his previous train of thought, Gregory
remarked, oracularly, at the end of a puff: "Louisville and Nashville is
certain to sell higher."

Littleton looked blank for a moment. He knew so little of stocks that at
first he did not understand what was meant. Then he said, politely:
"Indeed!"

"It is good for a ten-point rise in my opinion," Williams continued
after another puff. He was of a liberal nature, and was making a present
of this tip to his guest in the same spirit of hospitality as he had
proffered the dinner and the champagne. He was willing to take for
granted that Littleton, as a gentleman, would give him the order in case
he decided to buy, which would add another customer to his list. But his
suggestion was chiefly disinterested.

"I'm afraid I know very little about such matters," Littleton responded
with a smile. "I never owned but ten shares of stock in my life." Then,
by way, perhaps, of showing that he was not indifferent to all the good
things which the occasion afforded, he said, indicating a picture on the
opposite wall: "That is a fine piece of color."

Williams, having discharged his obligations as a host, was willing to
exchange the stock-market as a topic for his own capacity as a lightning
appreciator and purchaser of objects of art.

"Yes," he said, urbanely, "that is a good thing. I saw it in the
shop-window, asked the price and bought it. I bought two other pictures
at the same time. 'I'll take that, and that, and that,' I said, pointing
with my cane. The dealer looked astonished. He was used, I suppose, to
having people come in and look at a picture every day for a fortnight
before deciding. When I like a thing I know it. The three cost me
eighteen hundred dollars, and I paid for them within a week by a turn in
the market."

"You were very fortunate," said Littleton, who wished to seem
sympathetic.

Meanwhile the two wives had returned to the drawing-room arm in arm, and
established themselves on one of those small sofas for two, constructed
so that the sitters are face to face. They had taken a strong fancy to
each other, especially Flossy to Selma, and in the half hour which
followed they made rapid progress toward intimacy. Before they parted
each had agreed to call the other by her Christian name, and Selma had
confided the story of her divorce. Flossy list