er skill in driving tandem,
that he met with a fateful encounter. Afterward, when he came to look
back upon these early days, it seemed strange to him that he should
have gone about this place, so careless and unsuspecting, while the
fates were weaving strange destinies about him.

It was on Tuesday afternoon, and he sat in the box of Mrs. Venable, a
sister-in-law of the Major. The Major, who was a care-free bachelor,
was there himself, and also Betty Wyman, who was making sprightly
comments on the passers-by; and there strolled into the box Chappie de
Peyster, accompanied by a young lady.

So many people had stopped and been introduced and then passed on, that
Montague merely glanced at her once. He noticed that she was tall and
graceful, and caught her name, Miss Hegan.

The turnouts in the ring consisted of one horse harnessed in front of
another; and Montague was wondering what conceivable motive could
induce a human being to hitch and drive horses in that fashion. The
conversation turned upon Miss Yvette, who was in the ring; and Betty
remarked upon the airy grace with which she wielded the long whip she
carried. "Did you see what the paper said about her this morning?" she
asked. "' Miss Simpkins was exquisitely clad in purple velvet,' and so
on! She looked for all the world like the Venus at the Hippodrome!"

"Why isn't she in Society?" asked Montague, curiously.

"She!" exclaimed Betty. "Why, she's a travesty!"

There was a moment's pause, preceding a remark by their young lady
visitor. "I've an idea," said she, "that the real reason she never got
into Society was that she was fond of her old father."

And Montague gave a short glance at the speaker, who was gazing fixedly
into the ring. He heard the Major chuckle, and he thought that he heard
Betty Wyman give a little sniff. A few moments later the young lady
arose, and with some remark to Mrs. Venable about how well her costume
became her, she passed on out of the box.

"Who is that?" asked Montague.

"That," the Major answered, "that's Laura Hegan--Jim Hegan's daughter."

"Oh!" said Montague, and caught his breath. Jim Hegan--Napoleon of
finance--czar of a gigantic system of railroads, and the power behind
the political thrones of many states.

"His only daughter, too," the Major added. "Gad, what a juicy morsel
for somebody!"

"Well, she'll make him pay for all he gets, whoever he is!" retorted
Betty, vindictively.

"You don't like her?" inqu