“Really, you’re too complimentary for anything,” she said as she busied herself with her machine. Jack laughed. “Will you do me a favor?” he asked. “I should be delighted,” she replied. “What is it?” “Put a fresh sheet of paper on your machine. I want you to write a note for me.” “Certainly. There; now I’m ready for you to dictate.” “All right. Got the date down?” “Yes.” “Then here goes: ‘Mr. Oliver Bird,--Wall Street. Dear Sir--Please close out my L. S. stock----’” “Your what?” almost gasped Millie, stopping the machine. “Please don’t interrupt me, Miss Price,” said Jack, with a sober countenance, while the girl stared at him with all her eyes. “Go on,” said Jack. “Stock, I think, was the last word. ‘Stock at the ruling quotation at once, and oblige yours very truly.’ That’ll do. I’ll sign it while you are addressing the envelope.” “Is this one of your jokes, Jack?” asked Millie, handing him the envelope. “I’m not in the habit of joking in matters of business,” replied Jack, with a serio-comic expression. “Then you really are dabbling in stocks, which you ought not to do,” said Millie, severely. “Do you take me for a kid, Miss Price?” asked the boy, trying hard to suppress a grin. “‘Miss Price’! Come--I like that!” she exclaimed, flashing a half-reproachful glance at him. “I was only teasing you, Millie. Yes; I have been fooling a bit with the market. Eleven days ago I bought on the usual ten-per-cent margin one hundred and twenty-five shares of L. S. at thirty-six. I am going to sell out at once.” Millie grabbed up that morning’s “Wall Street Indicator” and ran her eyes down the list of stock quotations. “Here it is: L. S. closing price, seventy-six. Jack Hazard! You don’t mean to say----” The girl stopped through sheer amazement. “I don’t mean to say what?” laughed Jack. “That you have one hundred and twenty-five shares.” “That’s what I have.” “And you bought in at thirty-six?” “That’s what I did.” “Why, that’s a profit of five thousand dollars, you reckless boy!” gasped Millie, after a rapid mental calculation. “That’s the way I figured it--if the price doesn’t break before my broker can sell it this morning.” “Well!” That’s all she said, for just then Mr. Bishop came in; but the exclamation spoke volumes. “I should like to go out five minutes on a little matter of business, Mr. Bishop,” said Jack, and on receiving the desired permission, he rushed down to Bird’s office and handed in the envelope, which he had marked “Important.” It was half-past ten when the young messenger returned to the office from his first errand. “Mr. Bishop wants you,” said the bookkeeper. The manager was dictating to Millie. “Take this note----” began Mr. Bishop to Jack. “Mr. Warren wishes to see you, sir,” interrupted a clerk at that juncture. “Tell him to step right in.” Mr. Warren, one of the firm’s largest customers, walked into the private office hurriedly.