"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?" "Yes, he told me. It's the Circle City Oil Syndicate. He has some stock in it, he told me, and it's a fine concern. Oh, Joe, I'm so glad I have inherited a little fortune." "So am I," Joe returned, wondering at the same time if he would ever hear anything encouraging of his mother's relatives in England. "The Circle City Oil Syndicate," Joe murmured as he entered his car. "I must look them up. This fellow, Sanford, may be all right, but he struck me as being a pretty slick individual, who would look out for himself first, and the firm's clients afterward. He'll bear investigating." However, nothing could be done that night. The clerk had gone back with the larger part of Helen's money, and Joe did not want to cause her worry by speaking of his suspicions. The circus did a good business the next day, drawing even larger throngs than to the previous performances. The story of Helen's good fortune was printed in the local paper, with an account of the celebration supper she gave, and when she rode into the ring on Rosebud the applause that greeted her was very pronounced. Joe repeated his "drop back to instep hang" that afternoon. It was rather a perilous feat and he was not so sure of it as he was of his other exercises. But it was a "thriller" and that was what the public seemed to want--something that made them gasp, sit up, and hold their breath while they waited to see if "anything would happen" to the reckless performer. Joe climbed up to his small trapeze, swung on it and then fell backward for his first instep hang. He accomplished this successfully, and then came the thrilling slide down the longer ropes. Down Joe shot, depending on stopping himself with his outstretched and down-hanging hands when he reached the second bar. But the inevitable "something" happened. Joe's hands slipped from the bar, his head struck it a glancing blow, and the next instant he felt himself falling head first down toward the life net. CHAPTER XXI JOE HEARS SOMETHING