“Don’t bother about that,” he said; “it will.”

“What makes you think it will?”

He turned on her roughly and said:

“Don’t you think it will?”

“I’d like to think so,” she answered, abashed by his unusual manner; “but I’ve learned that it’s foolish to hope. I try not to.”

He gave a short, disagreeable laugh and said:

“Oh, not in this case. Hope as much as you like.”

“You’re very cheering,” she answered; “but I don’t see how you can be so sure.”

“It seems to me you’re very pessimistic—especially for a young woman who has just found a drawerful of paying stock.”