The ensuing week was marked for the Cowan-Penniman household by sensational developments.

To Dave Cowan on Monday morning, standing at his case in the _Advance_ office, nimbly filling his stick with type, following the loosely written copy turned in by Sam Pickering, the editor, had portentously come a messenger from the First National Bank to know if Mr.Cowan could find it convenient that day to give Harvey D.
Whipple a few moments of his time.

Dave's business life had hitherto not included any contact with bankers; he had simply never been in a bank.
The message left him not a little disturbed.
The messenger, Julius Farrow, a bookkeeper, could answer no questions.
He knew only that Harvey D.had been very polite about it, and if Dave couldn't find it convenient to-day he was to say when he might find it convenient to have a conference.

Dave felt relieved at hearing the word "conference." A mere summons to a strange place like a bank might be sinister, but a polite invitation to a conference at his convenience was different.

He put down his half-filled stick.