capital was invested in a great variety of enterprises.
Naturally, therefore, he received a large number of business letters,
which required to be answered.

The first day he dictated several replies, which Frank put upon paper.
He wished, however, to put Frank's ability to a severe test.

"Here are two letters," he said, "which you may answer. I have noted on
each instructions which you will follow. The wording of the letters I
leave to you."

"I will try to satisfy you sir," said Frank.

Our hero was a good writer for his age. Moreover, he had been well
trained at school and did not shrink from the task assigned him.

He read carefully the instruction of his employer, and composed the
letters in strict accordance with them.

Mr. Percival awaited with some interest the result of his experiment. If
Frank proved competent to the task assigned him, his own daily labor
would be considerably abridged.

"Here are the letters, sir," said our hero, passing the drafts to Mr.
Percival.

The old gentleman examined them carefully. As he did so, his face
expressed his satisfaction.

"Upon my word, Frank," he said, familiarly, "you have done your work
exceedingly well. They are brief, concise and yet comprehensive. I
feared that you would use too many words."

"I am glad you are pleased, sir. Dr. Brush trained us to write letters,
and he cut down our essays when they were too diffuse."

"Then I feel indebted to Dr. Brush for providing me with so competent a
young secretary. You will be able to assist me even more than I
anticipated. I shall, of course, read over your letters before they are
sent, to make sure that you have fully comprehended and carried out my
instructions, but I don't expect they will need much correction."

Frank was much gratified by these words. This was the only point on
which he had felt at all doubtful as to his ability to please his
employer.

Sometimes, when his eyes pained him more than usual, Mr. Percival also
employed him to read to him from the daily papers, or from some book in
which he was interested, but this did not occur regularly.

Every day, however, Frank was occupied with Freddie. The little boy knew
his alphabet, but nothing more, so that his young teacher had to begin
with him at the beginning of the primer.

He succeeded in interesting his little pupil, and did not protract his
term of study so as to weary him.

Finding that the little fellow was fond of hearing stories,