and a
remarkably convenient determination to learn everything that could be
learned in as short a space of time as possible. Book-keeping? How
fortunate it was that he should have happened into Joe Brower's father's
store just as Joe's father was giving his son a lesson in book-keeping,
and that then and there had arisen _his_ determination to study
book-keeping, and that he had commenced it; and at first with a little
of Joe's help, and then with a good deal of his father's, and finally
with no help at all, he conquered it. Then what an extraordinary thing
it was that he should have gone home to tea a little earlier than usual
that evening three years ago, and so surprised Winny in the act of
wiping away two tears, and found that they were shed because the dear
mother couldn't possibly pay for the desire of Winny's heart, namely:
French lessons; and that after much discussion and ex-postulation he
should have been allowed to consecrate one of the ten piles, in which he
always kept his money, to French lessons, and that he had begun at first
for pure fun, and ended by working hard over the lessons, Winny, on her
part, laboring earnestly to repeat in the evening just what she had
learned during the day, until now after the lapse of three years he knew
perfectly well that while he would undoubtedly make a Frenchman wild
with his attempts at pronunciation, yet the French letter would have to
be very queerly written that he could not translate, and the message an
exceedingly crooked one that he could not render into smoothly written
French. But how did Mr. Stephens know all these things? Well, never
mind. Only, he said with energy, there are some more things that I
_will_ know if I have the good fortune to get near that German clerk of
his, and Winny shall have her chance at German yet.

Callers found their usually brisk host almost inattentive during the
remainder of that afternoon. About five o'clock he dispatched a note,
addressed "J. H. McPherson, Euclid House," and astonished and delighted
his young waiter by an unusually early putting up of shutters, and of
putting things generally to rights for the night. In fact, it was not
more than seven o'clock when Jim McPherson arrived and found his
old-time companion alone and in waiting.

"Halloo! What's up?" was his greeting.

"You received my note?"

"Yes, and have been dying of curiosity ever since to know what the
'important business intimately connected with' myself