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 pleased. "I didn't think he'd part with it unless he was chloroformed. You must have charmed him. How much of it did you read?"

"All of it," Bert answered.

His father was surprised. "Like it?"

"Y . . . yes; but there's a lot of it I don't understand."

"You didn't expect to pry the cover off business and find the answer right under the lid, did you? What do you think of Sam?"

"He's all right. Does he talk about nothing but business?"

Mr. Quinby's voice grew a trifle sharp. "Did you find business talk tiresome?"

"No; I just wondered. He's not like most fellows."

"That's why he's got a business head," Mr. Quinby said decisively. "He likes you. I'm glad to find you two getting together. Run down to the store to-morrow and pick out a couple of ties."

"I'd sooner have the new collars."

"Ho! So that's it! Was Sam talking those new collars to you?"

"Before he knew who I was."

"I have an idea he'd be able to sell that collar to a man without a neck. Well, select the ties and take half a dozen of the collars, too. Perhaps you had better go down and pick them out to-night. Sam will worry about that book until he gets it back."