nge
mysteries and baffling crimes. This wonderful profession brings you into
contact with influential men on the basis of equality, and often calls
upon you to travel everywhere, maybe to distant lands--all expenses
paid. NO SPECIAL EDUCATION REQUIRED."

"Oh, boy! I guess that wins the fire-brick necklace! Wouldn't it be
swell to travel everywhere and nab some famous crook!" whooped Ted.

"Well, I don't think much of that. Doggone likely to get hurt. Still,
that music-study stunt might be pretty fair, though. There's no reason
why, if efficiency-experts put their minds to it the way they have to
routing products in a factory, they couldn't figure out some scheme so
a person wouldn't have to monkey with all this practising and exercises
that you get in music." Babbitt was impressed, and he had a delightful
parental feeling that they two, the men of the family, understood each
other.

He listened to the notices of mail-box universities which taught
Short-story Writing and Improving the Memory, Motion-picture-acting
and Developing the Soul-power, Banking and Spanish, Chiropody and
Photography, Electrical Engineering and Window-trimming, Poultry-raising
and Chemistry.

"Well--well--" Babbitt sought for adequate expression of his admiration.
"I'm a son of a gun! I knew this correspondence-school business had
become a mighty profitable game--makes suburban real-estate look
like two cents!--but I didn't realize it'd got to be such a reg'lar
key-industry! Must rank right up with groceries and movies. Always
figured somebody'd come along with the brains to not leave education to
a lot of bookworms and impractical theorists but make a big thing out of
it. Yes, I can see how a lot of these courses might interest you. I must
ask the fellows at the Athletic if they ever realized--But same time,
Ted, you know how advertisers, I means some advertisers, exaggerate. I
don't know as they'd be able to jam you through these courses as fast as
they claim they can."

"Oh sure, Dad; of course." Ted had the immense and joyful maturity of a
boy who is respectfully listened to by his elders. Babbitt concentrated
on him with grateful affection:

"I can see what an influence these courses might have on the whole
educational works. Course I'd never admit it publicly--fellow like
myself, a State U. graduate, it's only decent and patriotic for him to
blow his horn and boost the Alma Mater--but smatter of fact, there's
a whole lot of valuable