Manual_, consulted within the hour for the purpose.

He was early on the battle-ground; much too early, he thought, when a
clerk ushered him into the board room in the rear of the brokers'
offices. As yet there was only one person present--a young man who was
lounging in the easiest of the leather-covered chairs and yawning
dismally. At the first glance the face seemed oddly and strikingly
familiar; but when the young man marked the new-comer's entrance, the
small hand-bag in which the amateur promoter carried his papers, and got
up to shake hands, Ford found the suggestive gropings baffled.

"My name is Adair," said the lounger genially; "and I suppose you are
the Mr. Ford Uncle Sidney has been telling us about. Pull up a chair and
sit by the window. It's the only amusement you'll have until the clan
gathers."

Ford looked at his watch.

"I seem to be ahead of time," he remarked. "I understood Mr. Colbrith to
say that the meeting would be called for ten o'clock."

"Oh, that's all right; and so he did," rejoined the other cheerfully.
"But that means anything up to noon for a directors' meeting in New
York." Then, after a pause: "Do you know any of us personally, Mr.
Ford?"

Ford was rummaging in his memory again. "I ought to know you, Mr.
Adair. It isn't very decent to drag in resemblances, but--"

"The resemblance is the real thing, this time," said Adair. "You saw me