Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03

substantial interest, I think. want
the controlling interest in that and
Will furnish the necessary capital, with
a few friends. Come to my office some
time this evening and We will make
out the necessary papers. Good-byer
Floyd was too dumfounded to make
answer, and before he recovered enough
to follow the lawyer two of the princi-
pal merchants came hurrying in. In the
doorway they almost collided.
II suppose were both here on the
same errand,"r one of them said, so
we'll join interests. We want that new
style of store automobile truck you've
been devfsing-to manufacture, 1 mean.
Will fifteen. thousand be an induce
ment?"
Twelve thousand" whispered the
other man, cautiously.
Twelve thousand will be a very fair
price, think" said Floyd, overhear-
ing.
Ten thousand. then, ten thousand"
urged the second merchant, excitedly
Floyd stared. Il don't quite under
stand what's in the air today, but it
seems to be very highly charged with
stupendous surprises. 1 hadn't fixed
any price on my automobile improve
ment. but am willing to sell. And 1
| think $4,000 a fair valuation. You
may have it for that"
An hour later he was on his way to
| the post Office still dazed and bewil-
dered. A carriage rolled past, and in
answer to a bright glance of recog-
milton he raised his hat mechanically.
It was Miss Potter, the judges daugh-
| ter, with whom he had been very:
friendly during their public school
days. but from whom he had drifted in
these later years. when social isolation
had meant SO much more than it had
to them when they were children.
When he came from the post Office
he slipped several letters into his
pocket and opened the local paper. AL
most the first paragraph was the one
with the startling headlines, Coming
| Home With Tons of Gold"
Floyd crumpled the paper contempt
uously. That explained the whole
wretched business. Five minutes later
he was in the presence of Judge Pot
ter. There has been mistake" he
began. grimly. my Uncle John. is
The Judge interrupted him blandly.
You have been reading the paper. l
see. Really, Floyd, I hope you dom
credit me with being Influenced by that
Floyd smiled. satirically. I'm afraid
I do. judge. Anyhow. you must allow
me to release"
"oh. tut. tut, tut, boy! That. would
make me look like fool. You believe
in it. don't you?"
'Of course" Indignantly.
Then that's enough. Be here at 8
o'clock And. oh. yes. we're going to
| have few friends in this evening.
and we wish you to join us. Mrs. Pot
ter and Edith both desire it. Now
don't forget. 3 o'clock this afternoon
and about o'clock this evening"
| Floyd murmuIed something, and al
lowed the judge to bow him from the
room. How he found his way to the
sidewalk he scarcely knew. He could
grasp the magnitude of a few thou
sand dollars, but an invitation to the
inner circle Of social life, incompre-
hensible!
! That afternoon he was formally
made superintendent and general man.
ager of the Lake Champlain Passen-
ger and TRANSPORTATION Company. and
that evening he looked into Edith Pot
ters eyes and talked with her in her
own drawing room, and when at
length he went away from the house
1t was with a visionary dream of his
| life beginning to assume tangible pro-
portions.
(THE END.) '-'