in earnest. If needs be, he would forego the great fortune that
awaited him rather than be forced into questionable business
methods against which his whole manhood revolted.

Jefferson Ryder felt strongly about these matters, and gave them
more thought than would be expected of most young men with his
opportunities. In fact, he was unusually serious for his age. He
was not yet thirty, but he had done a great deal of reading, and
he took a keen interest in all the political and sociological
questions of the hour. In personal appearance, he was the type of
man that both men and women like--tall and athletic looking, with
smooth face and clean-cut features. He had the steel-blue eyes and
the fighting jaw of his father, and when he smiled he displayed
two even rows of very white teeth. He was popular with men, being
manly, frank and cordial in his relations with them, and women
admired him greatly, although they were somewhat intimidated by
his grave and serious manner. The truth was that he was rather
diffident with women, largely owing to lack of experience with
them.

He had never felt the slightest inclination for business. He had
the artistic temperament strongly developed, and his personal
tastes had little in common with Wall Street and its feverish
stock manipulating. When he was younger, he had dreamed of a
literary or art career. At one time he had even thought of going
on the stage. But it was to art that he turned finally. From an
early age he had shown considerable skill as a draughtsman, and
later a two years' course at the Academy of Design convinced him
that this was his true vocation. He had begun by illustrating for
the book publishers and for the magazines, meeting at first with