"
He liked to encourage her to speak of herself and her family. It
seemed to bring them closer together. Pleasantly he asked:
"What does he do, this Mr. Gillie--doctor--lawyer--business man?"
Amused at his curiosity, Virginia shook her head. Laughingly she said:
"Nothing so substantial, I assure you. He's only a shipping
clerk--getting about $14 a week--"
Stafford stared in amazement. With an incredulous smile, he exclaimed:
"Only earning $14 a week and he has the impudence to ask your sister
to marry him?"
Virginia nodded.
"Oh, but you don't know Mr. Gillie," she went on. "He's sure he's
worth far more than that, and he has won sister over to the same
opinion. I have some doubts myself, but they are both quite convinced
that before long he will be a multi-millionaire. You see, he has
ideas. He invents things. He told us about one of his inventions the
other day. It was something that would help the railroads, and make
them and him fabulously rich--"
"An inventor, eh?" exclaimed Stafford, his business instinct quickly
aroused at the mention of railroads.
An idea suddenly occurred to him. Here, perhaps, was the opportunity
he had been seeking, the excuse he had been looking for. Under
pretence of wishing to meet the inventor, he might be able to induce
her to bring her prospective brother-in-law to the house, and since
Mr. Gillie could hardly accept the invitation alone, she would, of
course, be compelled to accompany him.
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