Page:Ned Wilding's Disappearance.djvu/108

98 "Now that you've got it settled I'll draw a hundred dollars of your thousand and give it to you before you start for New York."

It was this transaction Ned had in mind as he was on his way to the great city. He read the account of the oil concern from circulars which had been mailed to him in Darewell a few weeks ago. There were big sheets of statistics, prospectuses glittering with gold printing, finely engraved sample stock certificates and a mass of figures that showed the impossibility of the Mt. Olive oil wells producing any less than the highest possible number of barrels per day.

"If this turns out all right I'll get the other boys to invest some of their money," Ned said to himself.

Ned reached New York safely about noon. He had his dinner in a restaurant near the station and then, leaving his trunk until he could have it sent to his uncle's house, and carrying only a small valise, he went to the office of the oil concern.

He had little difficulty in finding it, once a policeman had directed him to Broadway. He was hardly prepared for the beautifully furnished office into which he stepped. There was heavy carpet on the floor, the chandeliers, glowing with electric lights, seemed of solid gold. There were brass