Part 26 (1/2)

”Go on,” he urged.

”My dear friends,” she began tremblingly, ”I want to thank you for all the nice things you have said about me, and I want to say that I'm glad--glad----” She paused and blushed again.

”Glad to be here,” prompted Joe.

”Yes, that's it--glad to be here, and I--er--I---- Oh, you finish for me, Joe!” she begged, as she sat down amid laughter.

Then the supper went on, more merrily than before. But it had to come to an end at last, for the show people needed their rest if they were to perform well the next day. And most of them, especially those like Joe and the acrobats, who depended on their nerve as well as their strength, needed unbroken slumber.

As Joe walked back to the railroad, where their sleeping cars were standing on a siding, the young trapeze performer asked Helen about her business transaction with the law clerk. He had not had a chance to do this at the supper.

”Well,” began the girl, ”as you know, he brought me the cash, Joe. Oh, how nice those new bills did look. He had it all in new bills for me.

Mr. Pike told him to do that, he said, as they didn't know whether I could use a check, traveling about as I am. Anyhow he had the bills for me--about three thousand dollars it was. The rest of my little fortune, you know, is in stocks and bonds. I only get the interest, but this cash was from the sale of some of grandfather's property.”

”Then you didn't keep the cash yourself?” Joe asked.

”No. Mr. Sanford said it wouldn't be safe for me to carry so much money around with me. Do you think it would?”

”Of course not,” Joe agreed. ”But you could have let our treasurer keep it for you. He could have banked it.”

”Yes; Mr. Sanford thought of that, he said. But he also said if my money was in the bank I wouldn't get more than three per cent. on it.

I don't know exactly what he means--I never was any good at fractions, and I know nothing about business. But, anyhow, Mr. Sanford kindly explained that I would get more interest on my money if it was invested than if it was in a bank. And he offered to invest for me all I didn't need at once. Wasn't he kind?”

”Perhaps,” admitted Joe, rather dubiously. ”How is he going to invest it?”

”Oh, he knows lots of ways, he said, being in the law office. But he said he thought it would be best to buy oil stock with it. Oil stock was sure to go up in price, he said; and I would make money on that as well as interest, or dividends--or something like that. Wasn't he good?”

”To himself maybe, yes,” answered Joe.

”What do you mean?” inquired Helen.

”Oh, well, maybe it's all right,” Joe said. He did not want to alarm the girl unnecessarily, but he had a deeper suspicion than before of Sanford.

”I think it's just fine,” Helen went on. ”I have quite some cash with me--I'm going to let our treasurer keep that, and give me some when I need it. Then, from time to time, I'll get dividends on my oil stock.”

”Maybe,” said Joe, in a low voice.

”What?” asked Helen, quickly. ”What do you mean?”

”Never mind,” proceeded Joe. ”Anyhow we had a good time to-night.”

”Did you enjoy it?”

”I certainly did, Helen.”

They parted near the train, Joe to go to his car and Helen to hers.

”Oh, by the way,” Joe called after her. ”Did Mr. Sanford say what oil company it was he was going to invest your money in?”