m travelling so that he could see the world, and get
himself in trim for dealing with it. And that's what we have to do in
our business. Deal with the world."

I didn't like this, and I don't think Rectus did, either. He walked over
to one of the windows, and looked out into the street.

"I'll tell you what I think, sir," said I. "Rectus--I mean your son
Samuel, only I shall never call him so--has seen enough of the world to
make him so wide awake that he sees more in schooling than he used to.
That's my opinion!"

I knew that Rectus rather envied my going to college, for he had said as
much on the trip home; and I knew that he had hoped his father would let
him make a fresh start with the professor at our old school.

"Sammy," cried out Mrs. Colbert,--"Sammy, my son, do you want to go to
school, and finish up your education, or go into your father's office,
and learn to be a merchant?"

Rectus turned around from the window.

"There's no hurry about the merchant," he said. "I want to go to school
and college, first."

"And that's just where you're going," said his mother, with her face
reddening up a little more than common.

Mr. Colbert grinned a little, but said nothing. I suppose he thought it
would be of no use, and I had an idea, too, that he was very glad to
have Rectus determine on a college career. I know the rest of us were.
And we didn't hold back from saying so, either.

Uncle Chipperton now began to praise Rectus, and he told what
obligations the boy had put him under in Nassau, when he wrote to his
father, and had that suit about the property stopped, and so relieved
him--Uncle Chipperton--from cutting short his semi-tropical trip, and
hurrying home to New York in the middle of winter.

"But the suit isn't stopped," said Mr. Colbert. "You don't suppose I
would pay any attention to a note like the one Sammy sent me, do you? I
just let the suit go on, of course. It has not been decided yet, but I
expect to gain it."

At this, Uncle Chipperton grew very angry indeed. It was astonishing to
see how quickly he blazed up. He had supposed the whole thing settled,
and now to find that the terrible injustice--as he considered it--was
still going on, was too much for him.

"Do you sit there and tell me that, sir?" he exclaimed, jumping up and
skipping over to Mr. Colbert. "Do you call yourself----"

"Father!" cried Corny. "Keep perfectly cool! Remain just where you are!"

Uncle Chipperton stopped as i