“What then?”
“I am Walter Conrad.”
“Conrad!” exclaimed General Wall, starting and looking disturbed. “Surely you are not----” and he came to a pause.
“I am the son of Mr. Conrad, whom you induced to buy a thousand shares in the Great Metropolitan Mining Company.”
“Ah, indeed!” said General Wall, a little nervously. “That was indeed a disastrous speculation. I lost by it heavily.”
“It was the cause of my poor father’s death,” said Walter, faltering for a moment.
“A most unfortunate affair,” muttered the general; “but”--here he rallied--“I am glad to say, my young friend, that it will not prove a total loss. I and a few others are going to see if we can’t revive it and make it pay something. I have already written to Mr. Clement Shaw--your guardian, is he not?--offering three thousand dollars for your shares. We may lose by it, but the money will go into good hands. I hope you are empowered to accept the offer.”
“General Wall,” said Walter, firmly, “don’t you consider the shares worth more?”
“I am hardly justified in offering so much.”
“Then I will keep the shares.”