"Come off! I've got a better scheme even than the Singerly deal. The school board's trying to locate a few schools in up-town districts. Very undesirable neighbors. I rather think I can make a couple of turns there. This is all strictly _inter nos_, as Professor Morton used to say in giving me, as a special mark of esteem, a couple of hundred extra lines of Virgil to keep me in o' nights." He looked at his watch and gave the stem-key a few turns before returning it to his pocket. "You'll have to excuse me, old man. I've got a date with Adams, over at the Central States Trust Company. He's a right decent chap when you know how to handle him. I want to get them to finance a big apartment house scheme. I've got an idea for a flat that will make the town sit up and gasp." "Don't linger on my account, Jack. I only stopped in to see whether you kept your good spirits. I feel as though I'd had a shower bath. Come along." Several men were waiting to see Balcomb in the outer office and he shook hands with all of them and begged them to come again, taking care to mention that he had been called to the Central States Trust Company and had to hurry away. He called peremptorily to the passing elevator-car to wait, and as he and Leighton squeezed into it, he continued his half of an imaginary conversation in a tone that was audible to every passenger. "I could have had those bonds, if I had wanted them; but I knew there was a cloud on them--the county was already over its legal limit. I guess those St. Louis fellows will be sorry they were so enterprising--here we are!" And then in a lower tone to Leighton: "That was for old man Dameron's benefit. Did you see him jammed back in the corner of the car? Queer old party and as tight as a drum. When I can work off some assessable and non-interest bearing bonds on him, it'll be easy to sell Uncle Sam's Treasury a gold brick. They say the old man has a daughter who is finer than gold; yea, than much fine gold. I'm going to look her up, if I ever get time. You'd better come over soon and pick out an office. _Verbum sat sapienti_, as our loving teacher used to say. So long!" Leighton walked back to his office in good humor and better contented with his own lot. THE WICKED ZEBRA[3] BY FRANK ROE BATCHELDER The zebra always seems malicious,-- He kicks and bites 'most all the time; I fear that he's not only vicious, But guilty of some dreadful crime. The mere suggestion makes me falter In writing of this wicked brute; Although he has escaped the halter, He wears for life a convict's suit. [Footnote 3: Lippincott's Magazine.] THE BRAKEMAN AT CHURCH BY ROBERT J. BURDETTE