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250 clared Colonel Halket loftily. He felt as he stood before these twenty eminent citizens that he had never addressed a body of men in a higher or more ennobling vein, or been more eloquent. "Bear with me if I seem didactic," he begged them with the complacent confidence of the orator who appeals for indulgence most when he feels most assured that he is about to be interesting. Only Colonel Halket deluded himself and misjudged his audience; they admired his polished utterance of fine sentiment, but were impatient for him to descend again to practical facts and figures. This before long he did, with another apology; and Floyd began then to understand the purpose of his grandfather's laborious study of statistics during the past months. The audience was once more interested and impressed.

Colonel Halket spoke continuously for an hour. When he had finished no one seemed at once ready to meet him in argument. After a moment he called on Kerr, the New York banker, for an opinion as to the financing of the scheme.

"I am willing to undertake it," said Kerr. "On condition that it appears that Colonel Halket is to be president of the new corporation."

"That is a condition, gentlemen, that I should not have thought of naming," said Colonel Halket genially. "I dare say Mr. Kerr, at any sign of opposition, will be willing to withdraw the compliment."

"On the contrary," said Mr. Kerr. He was a serious-looking man, bald except for a few long wisps of sandy hair laid across the peak of his head; his reddish mustache drooped, his ears were big and protuberant; he was a homely man, but an impressive by reason of his cool, calm eyes. His shrewd foresight passed among the unimaginative men of his world for constructive imagination; his prestige was enormous at this time, for he had had several large successes in getting together the properties of other men and putting them into the hands of his