"What a curious coincidence!" "Let me read you another coincidence," said Ryder meaningly.

He turned to another part of the book and read: "_the same eternal long black cigar always between his lips_ ..." "General Grant smoked, too," interrupted Shirley.

"All men who think deeply along material lines seem to smoke." "Well, we'll let that go.

But how about this ?" He turned back a few pages and read: "_John Broderick had loved, when a young man, a girl who lived in Vermont, but circumstances separated them._" He stopped and stared at Shirley a moment and then he said: "I loved a girl when I was a lad and she came from Vermont, and circumstances separated us.

That isn't coincidence, for presently you make John Broderick marry a young woman who had money.