For the rest of the week, whenever he had the chance, he kept his eye on the indicator that ticked out its monotonous song in the reception-room during business hours, and every day D. & S. advanced, sometimes with provoking slowness and sometimes with little bounds, like a boy chasing himself up a flight of stairs. But the tendency was always upward. “When will it stop?” mused the lad; “when go the other way? How long dare I hold on?” And Millie Price watched his eager attention to that fatal piece of mechanism with an anxious eye. She said nothing. He hadn’t told her he had embarked in the treacherous whirlpool of Wall Street speculation again, but she knew with the unerring accuracy of a sympathetic and deeply interested observer experienced in all the signs that go with the game. And it worried her--for exactly how much she thought of Jack no one but herself in this world knew. CHAPTER XVI. PLAYING FOR A HIGH STAKE. “Millie,” said Jack, about Saturday noon, “mother and sister Annie have heard so much about you from Ed and I that they are very very anxious to know you. Will you dine with us to-morrow? I will come over to your house and fetch you.” Millie blushed a little as she looked at the handsome, stalwart young messenger, and hesitated what reply to make. “Well, Millie, is it yes?” “Yes, but on one condition,” she answered, earnestly. “All right; what’s the condition?” “You must answer me one question--truthfully.” “I agree to that. But do you think I would not answer truthfully any question you might ask?” he asked, reproachfully. “No, Jack,” she said, seizing one of his hands; “it isn’t that, but----” “Well?” “You may not want to answer this question in the way I wish.” “Try me and see.” “I know I have no right to be so inquisitive. It oughtn’t to be any of my business. I hope you won’t be angry with me. But, Jack, I’m afraid----” She stopped, and the boy thought he saw a tear glisten in her eye. “Promise me that you won’t be provoked with me?” she continued, impulsively. “Why, of course I promise you,” he said, greatly curious to learn what it was that affected her so deeply. “You have gone into the market again, haven’t you?” “Why, how did you guess?” he asked in surprise. “How? There are a dozen signs you have given which are quite plain to me.” “Well, I admit the fact.” “How much of your five thousand dollars have you risked on a margin?” she continued, with some hesitation. “How much? Almost the limit.” “Oh, Jack, I feared as much! You are so enthusiastic--so reckless!” “I’ll tell you the story and let you judge for yourself.” And he did. “Do you really mean that Mr. Hartz gave you that tip?” “That’s what he did.” “From what I have heard about him, he’s the very last man in Wall Street to do such a thing.”