"What is it selling at?" asked Ray. "One dollar and sixty cents," replied Lee, with an intonation of pride and triumph. "Cheap enough," said Ray. "Yes, sir, one dollar and sixty cents, and it will be up to five in six months and paying dividends, and up to fifty, with ten-per-cent. dividends, in a year and a half." Little Willy Eddy had in the savings-bank a little money. Before he left he had arranged with Henry Lee to invest it through his influence with the great man, Carroll, and say nothing about it to any one outside. Willy hoped fondly that his Minna might know nothing about it until he should surprise her with the proceeds of his great venture. Then Willy Eddy marched boldly upon the soda-fountain. "Give me a chocolate ice-cream soda," he said, like a man. Chapter XIII Three days later, at dinner, Charlotte Carroll said something about the difficulty she had had about getting the check cashed. "It is the queerest thing," said she, in a lull of the conversation, pausing with her soup-spoon lifted, "how very difficult it is to get a check for even a small amount cashed in Banbridge." Carroll's spoon clattered against his plate. "What do you mean?" he asked, sharply. Charlotte looked at him surprised. "Why, nothing," said she, "only I went to every store in town to get your check for twenty-five dollars cashed, and then I had to go to Anderson's finally. I should think they must be very poor here. Are they, papa?" Carroll went on with his soup. "Who gave you the check to cash?" he said, in a low voice. "Aunt Anna," replied Charlotte. "Why?" Anna spoke quite eagerly, and it seemed apologetically. "Arthur," said she, "the girls were very anxious to go to the City." "Yes," said Ina, "I really had to go that day. I wanted to get that silk. I had that charged; there wasn't money enough; but it has not come yet. I don't see where it is." "I let Charlotte take the check," Anna Carroll said again, still with an air of nervous apology, "but I saw no reason why-- I thought--" "You thought what?" said Carroll. His voice was exceedingly low and gentle, but Anna Carroll started. "Nothing," said she, hastily. "Nothing, Arthur." "Well, I just went everywhere with it," Charlotte said again; "then I had to go to Anderson, after all. I just hated to. I don't like him. He laughed when Eddy and I went there to take back the candy." "He laughed because we took it back--a little thing like that," said Eddy. Carroll looked at him, and the boy cast his eyes down and took a spoonful of soup with an abashed air. "He was the only one in Banbridge that seemed to have as much as twenty-five dollars in his money-drawer," said Charlotte. "I began to think that Ina and I should have to give up going to New York." "Don't take any more checks around the shops here to cash, honey," said Carroll. "Come to me; I'll fix it up some way. Amy, dear, are you all ready for the drive?"