of metropolitan life, and his defects were chiefly due to the
circumstances of his lot. During his academic course he had been known
as an athletic rather than a bookish man, and had left his Alma Mater
with an Apollo-like physique. At the same time he had developed fine
literary tastes, and was well informed, even if he had not gone very
deeply into the classics and the sciences that were remote from the
business career which he had chosen. After a brief interval of foreign
travel he had entered his brother's office, and was schooling his
buoyant, pleasure-loving temperament to the routine of trade. When
business hours were over, however, Graydon gave himself up to the
gratification of his social tastes. His vitality and flow of spirits
were so immense that wherever he went he always caused a breezy ripple
of excitement. Even veteran society girls found something exhilarating
in the mirthful flash of his blue eyes, and to be whirled through
a waltz on his strong arm was a pleasure not declined by reigning
belles. Many looks that to other men might have been the arrows of
Cupid were directed toward him, but they glanced harmlessly from
his polished armor. Society was to him what business was to his
brother,--an arena in which he easily manifested his power. At
the same time he was a manly fellow, and had no taste for corner
flirtations or the excitement of drawing perilously near to a
committal with those who would have responded to marked attentions.
The atmosphere he loved was that of general and social gayety. The
girls that he singled out for his especial regard were noted for their
vivacity and intelligence, as well as their beauty. Meanwhile he had
won a reputation for his good-natured attentions to "wall-flowers."
Such kindly efforts were rarely made at the promptings of conscience.
The truth was, he enjoyed life so fully himself that he disliked to
see any one having a dismal time. It gave him genuine pleasure to come
to a plain-featured, neglected damsel, and set all her blood tingling