Page:O'Higgins--The Adventures of Detective Barney.djvu/319

 Barney’s heart began to beat again. “Will you take me back?”

“If you want to come—then—yes. Glad to have you.”

“Well, gee, Chief—” Barney was smiling, almost in tears.

Babbing continued quizzically, settling back in his chair. “You have the making of a detective in you, I ’m sorry to say. There ’s no doubt of it. And if you want to make a living out of it, I can’t stop you. It ’s as good a way as another, I suppose. You either have the aptitude for it, or you have n’t. It is n’t a science. It ’s an art. You can’t reduce it to rules. It ’s intuitive. All the science in the business can’t take the place of the ‘hunch.’ That ’s why I ’m discharging you. If you can get the right hunch, all you need is an education in order to make a success of yourself. Understand?”

“Yes, ’r,” Barney beamed.

“Very well, then,” Babbing rose. “Go home and tell your mother. I ’ll be around to