“Yes. You know Mr. Witherby handles some stocks and bonds down at the bank. Small lots, that borrowers bring in to sell, and which are not important enough to take to a regular broker. Father insists that I shall know something about business, and about investing some money that I have in my own right, and he suggested that Mr. Witherby might give me some advice.
“And he has done so, on several occasions. I have made a number of investments through him, and they have all been good. It was one of these he called to see me about that Sunday, as it was necessary to act early the next morning.
“Besides, he is a distant relative of ours. Most of his people are dead, and he has few friends or relatives. He has ambitions of which he speaks but little. Father wants me to be kind to him and help him all I can.
“It was so pleasant out of doors that I suggested we take a walk. Mr. Witherby is engaged to some girl out West,” said Grace, with a laugh which had a meaning of its own. “He showed me her picture. So you see, Larry——”
“I’m sorry I haven’t called before,” he interrupted, with another blush. “But this bank mystery takes up a lot of time.”
“Not so much but what you can go walking in the park with a pretty girl, Larry. Who was she? I’m sure I’ve seen her before.”
Larry explained Miss Mason’s position, and then, the little misunderstanding having been cleared away, the two friends walked on down the street together, for Miss Potter had been shopping.
“I have to go away downtown now,” she said, after Larry had accompanied her in several stores. “Mamma wants some kind of imported medicine, that I can only get at a wholesale drug house on Greenwich street.”
“I’ll come along,” offered Larry. “I’m about due at the office. That wealthy foreigner clew did not amount to anything.” Larry was also wondering what the Witherby clew would amount to, after the remarks of Grace, but he concluded to keep on with it in spite of what she said, for he wanted to clear up the bank mystery.
They were soon riding down in the elevated train, as that was the most convenient way. Talking of many things, and the bank mystery in particular, they hardly noticed the passage of time until the train came to a sudden stop, with a harsh grinding of brakes.