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 Austin rose, astonished not so much by the magnificent offer that was being made to him as by his own extreme repugnance to it.

"I don't want Miss Hayes to run my school," he said.

David, who saw instantly that all obstacles were now destroyed between the beloved Susie and his best friend, felt it his duty to say:

"My dear fellow, your future is assured."

"I know nothing whatsoever about banking," said Austin, as if this ignorance would certainly save him.

"Don't have to," answered Mr. Johns. "I'll furnish you with all the technical men you need. What I want of you is vision, snap, understanding of personalities, executive ability."

Austin was silent. He knew it was not an offer that any sane man could refuse, and then a thought came to him, apparently irrelevant, namely, that Elise would graduate from the school in a few weeks, anyhow.

He said that he felt most grateful and flattered, that he must take time to look about and find a successor at the school who would carry out his ideas, but that he believed he could say that by June—

Mr. Johns began shaking his head and