ippe that most of these duties fell.

And yet, strangely enough, nothing had been further from the older
man's original plan than to transform this foreign-born lad into his
private secretary. But so it came about.

"I seem to just need you all the time, Giusippe," he declared one day.
"When you leave the house and return to your uncle's I am always
discovering something I meant to ask you and having to send the car
after you; and the moment you go back to your own job in the casting
department, without fail some matter comes up and you have to be
telephoned for. It is no use to try to get on without you. I need you
all the time. I need you here at home and I need you at the office."

Giusippe smiled.

"I'm glad if I can be of help to you, sir."

"You are of help; you are more than that--you are---- See here, what do
you say to throwing up your position at the works and coming into my
private office as my--well, as my general utility man? I've never had a
secretary--I've never wanted one; and if I had I never before have seen
the chap I'd trust with the job. But you are different. You're one of
the family, to begin with. Moreover, you've proved that you can be
trusted, and that you have some common sense. What would you take to
move into your room up-stairs for good and all, and live here where I
can get hold of you when I want you? Are you so wedded to your aunt and
uncle or to your work in the factory that you would be unwilling to
make the change?"

A flush suffused the boy's face.

"If you really think that I could do for you what you want done, Mr.
Curtis----"

"I don't think, I know!"

"Then I'd like to come, sir."

"That's right! It will be a weight off my mind. The doctor says that
for some months I must still go easy. You can save both my time and my
strength. I like you and I believe you like me; that is half the battle
in working with any one. We will send to your uncle's for your trunk
and whatever else you have."

"There isn't much else but some books," answered Giusippe. "I have been
buying a few from time to time as I could afford them."

"Box them up and send them over. Send everything. This is to be your
future home, you understand. And by the by, we'll give you that other
room adjoining your bedroom. You will need a bit more space. I will
have a desk and some book-shelves put in there."

"Thank you, sir."

"We'll call that settled, then. It is going to be very helpful to have
you rig