knows Waterman would not expect to get a second hint."

"What could he do?" asked Montague.

"Waterman!" exclaimed young Curtiss.

"He would find a way," said the General, simply. "That is the one
hope that I see in the situation--the power of a conservative man
like him."

"You trust him, then?" asked Montague.

"Yes," said the General, "I trust him.--One has to trust somebody."

"I heard a curious story," put in Harry Curtiss. "My uncle had
dinner at the old man's house the other night, and asked him what he
thought of the market. 'I can tell you in a sentence,' was the
answer. 'For the first time in my life I don't own a security.'"

The General gave an exclamation of surprise. "Did he really say
that?" he asked. "Then one can imagine that things will happen
before long!"

"And one can imagine why the stock market is weak!" added the other,
laughing.

At that moment the door of the dining-room was opened, and Mrs.
Prentice appeared. "Are you men going to talk business all evening?"
she asked. "If so, come into the drawing-room, and talk it to us."