She wondered that he felt so sure, but she subsided; then other thoughts came into her mind. "Stephen," she asked, "are you doing much now—on the market, I mean?"
"Always doing a lot," he replied.
"What's safest and surest?"
"Government bonds," he answered with a smile.
"No, no," she said. "I mean surest to go up and do something quickly."
"Lydia," he responded, "if young Wayne wants to know anything from me, let him ask me himself."
"Oh!" she cried, pouting, "how quick you are! Well, I did ask for Jim." There was just a little hesitation as she spoke the name. "But he gets so little chance to see you. Come, tell me something; give me a tip, there's a good fellow."
"I calculated once," he replied, "that if I told every one who asked, there would be just twice my capital in the market, after the things I want. No, Lydia, let every man stand on his own feet; I do my hunting alone."
"Stephen!" she coaxed. "Stephen! Oh, you obstinate thing! At least tell me what you're buying."
"If you want to help young Wayne, don't ask that. I look long ways ahead; sometimes I buy to hold, but he can't. I'm not afraid of a drop; he is. Let him work out his get-rich-quick scheme by himself, and he'll be better off than if I helped him."