"But I would prefer that Mr. Barker should not offer in the open market
at present. Give him seventy for it--private sale; that will be ten
thousand dollars paid to his credit. Advise the Branch of this at once,
and to keep the transaction quiet."

"Yes, sir," responded the clerk as he moved towards the door. But he
hesitated, and with another essay at confidence said insinuatingly, "I
always thought, sir, that Wide West would recover."

Stacy, perhaps not displeased to find what had evidently passed in his
subordinate's mind, looked at him and said dryly, "Then I would advise
you also to keep that opinion to yourself." But, clever as he was, he
had not anticipated the result. Mr. North, though a trusted employee,
was human. On arriving in the outer office he beckoned to one of the
lounging brokers, and in a low voice said, "I'll take two shares of Wide
West, if you can get it cheap."

The broker's face became alert and eager. "Yes, but I say, is anything
up?"

"I'm not here to give the business of the bank away," retorted North
severely; "take the order or leave it."

The man hurried away. Having thus vindicated his humanity by also
passing the snub he had received from Stacy to an inferior, he turned
away to carry out his master's instructions, yet secure in the belief
that he had profited by his superior discernment of the real reason
of that master's singular conduct. But when he returned to the private
room, in hopes of further revelations, Mr. Stacy was closeted with
another financial magnate, and had apparently divested his mind of the