to do that, he said, as they didn't know whether I
could use a check, traveling about as I am. Anyhow he had the bills
for me--about three thousand dollars it was. The rest of my little
fortune, you know, is in stocks and bonds. I only get the interest,
but this cash was from the sale of some of grandfather's property."

"Then you didn't keep the cash yourself?" Joe asked.

"No. Mr. Sanford said it wouldn't be safe for me to carry so much
money around with me. Do you think it would?"

"Of course not," Joe agreed. "But you could have let our treasurer
keep it for you. He could have banked it."

"Yes; Mr. Sanford thought of that, he said. But he also said if my
money was in the bank I wouldn't get more than three per cent. on it.
I don't know exactly what he means--I never was any good at fractions,
and I know nothing about business. But, anyhow, Mr. Sanford kindly
explained that I would get more interest on my money if it was invested
than if it was in a bank. And he offered to invest for me all I didn't
need at once. Wasn't he kind?"

"Perhaps," admitted Joe, rather dubiously. "How is he going to invest
it?"

"Oh, he knows lots of ways, he said, being in the law office. But he
said he thought it would be best to buy oil stock with it. Oil stock
was sure to go up in price, he said; and I would make money on that as
well as interest, or dividends--or something like that. Wasn't he
good?"

"To himself maybe, yes," answered Joe.

"What do you mean?" inquired Helen.

"Oh, well, maybe it's all right," Joe said. He did not want to alarm
the girl unnecessarily, but he had a deeper suspicion than before of
Sanford.

"I think it's just fine," Helen went on. "I have quite some cash with
me--I'm going to let our treasurer keep that, and give me some when I
need it. Then, from time to time, I'll get dividends on my oil stock."

"Maybe," said Joe, in a low voice.

"What?" asked Helen, quickly. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind," proceeded Joe. "Anyhow we had a good time to-night."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"I certainly did, Helen."

They parted near the train, Joe to go to his car and Helen to hers.

"Oh, by the way," Joe called after her. "Did Mr. Sanford say what oil
company it was he was going to invest your money in?"

"Yes, he told me. It's the Circle City Oil Syndicate. He has some
stock in it, he told me, and it's a fine concern. Oh, Joe, I'm so glad
I have inherited a little fortune."