ing in." Her face
showed her disappointment. "I'm sorry," said Hess. "I'd do anything I
could for you, little girl, or for any one who ever did you a good
turn. But you see how it is. I can't ask favours of York and his crowd.
If I did they'd only refuse."

"Of course not--if it's that way," Clyde acknowledged. "I didn't know.
I thought you might be able to do something or suggest something."

Hess was silent, smoking meditatively, drawing aimless lines on a
blotter. "Got much money loose?" he asked suddenly.

"Plenty," Clyde replied. "Why?"

"Well," said Hess slowly, "just at present Western Air looks to me like
good buying."

"Does it? I'll buy a little, if you say so."

"Don't say I said so; don't mention my name. Tell your brokers to buy
quietly at the market just as much as you can stand. Tell 'em to buy
till you countermand their instructions. I'll let you know when to do
that. Tell 'em to buy at the present market. If the price breaks keep
on buying. And if you go away anywhere let me know where a wire will
get you."

"Thanks, Uncle Jim," said Clyde. "You think Western Air is a good
investment, then?"

"I didn't say that--I said it was good buying," said Hess. "It's not
high now. Some day"--he hesitated--"some day it ought to be worth as
much as Hess System--as much as one of our own stocks."

With this prophecy, which he appeared to regret, Jim Hess patted his
niece on the shoulder, told her not to worry about other people's
troubles, and departed to keep his engagement.

Clyde immediately rang up Mrs. Wade, and, finding her at home,
proceeded there at once, to "fix" matters; a thing by no means hard to
accomplish, for Kitty Wade found the prospect of a lonesome vacation
very unattractive, and was a willing conspirator.

"We'll just _make_ Harrison take us," she declared. "We'll have all
sorts of a good time, too, riding and driving and fishing and whatever
else they do. Won't it be a relief not to have to dress up? And I'll be
an ideal chaperon, dear, upon my word."

"Oh, my liking for Mr. Dunne hasn't reached that stage," laughed Clyde,
flushing a little, but too wise to pretend density. She had ever found
that the best defence against such badinage lay in frankness. "But
don't leave me alone with him, Kitty. It might end with his endowing me
with his name and worldly goods. 'Mrs. Casey Dunne!' Euphonious, don't
you think? I wonder if I should like to hear myself announced in that
way?"

Kitt