He caught the two-forty-seven. McGibbon, who had missed nothing of the concern on Henry's face at this brisk counter-offensive on the part of Uncle Arthur, was with him.
McGibbon waited in the corner drug store while Henry-went up in one of the elevators of the great La Salle Street office-building.
Uncle Arthur led the way into his inner office, closed the door, seated himself, and with austerity surveyed the youth before him, taking in with deliberate thought the far-from-inexpensive blue-serge suit, the five-dollar straw hat, the bamboo stick (which Henry carried anything but airily now), and the hopelessly futile little moustache.
Uncle Arthur opened a drawer, took up two slips of paper, deliberately laid them before his nephew.
'There,' he said, 'is my cheque for one thousand forty-six dollars and twenty-nine cents. It is the value, with interest to this morning, of one bond which I am buying from you, at the price given in to-day's quotations. Kindly sign the receipt. Right there.'
He dipped a pen and Henry signed, then, with shaky fingers, picked up the cheque, fingered it, laid it down again.
'I want no misunderstandings about this, Henry. I am doing it because I regard you as a young fool. Perhaps you will be less of a fool after you have lost this money. Henry heard the words through a mist of confused feelings. 'I will have no more letters and telegrams like these.' He indicated the little sheaf of papers on his desk. 'And I won't have my character assailed either by you or by any cheap scoundrel whose advice you may be taking.'
Uncle Arthur raised his eyebrows. His eyes, Henry felt, would burn holes in him if he stayed here much longer.
'You're hard on me, Uncle Arthur. You're not fair I'm _not_ going to lose----'
'If you care for any advice at all from me, I suggest that you insist on a note from this man--a demand note, or, at the very outside, a three-months' one. Don't put money unsecured into a weak business. Make it a personal obligation on the part of the proprietor. And now, Henry, that is all. I really don't care to talk to you further.
'But--but--' Henry said unsteadily, 'Uncle Arthur--really! Money isn't everything!'
His uncle turned on him as if about to speak; but on second thought merely raised his eyebrows again.