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 other day and talked all the time about one of his pupils who wants to go to college, and I could see he was emotionally interested. Besides, he did not even ask to see Susie. It's the parting of the ways, if I manage it right."

Mr. Johns's business success had been due not only to his grunt and shout, but also to his power of acting instantly. And he saw now that he must act.

"Now you make a great mistake," he said, "about that young man. He's one of the coming men of America. He's not going to stick at school-teaching—not much. Too valuable. Why, I'd give him a salary of twenty thousand a year to start to manage any of our Western branches. He has sense, creative genius, puts anything over. Now I'll tell you a secret. I'm making him an offer to-morrow—dare say he won't take it—but I'm making it, after consultation with my directors, of course, to go to St. Louis and organize all our branches. He'll go far. Of course if you don't like him that's one thing, but don't make any mistake about his financial future. Genius. I don't see it often. When I do I snap it up—snap it up."

Mrs. Rolles began to look thoughtful.