annot imagine his purpose."

"It may be about business," suggested the junior partner.

"You may be right, Bob, but it hardly seems probable that he would want
to talk with us about business."

"But you say he has often talked with you about it when you have been at
his house."

"So he has, in a general way," replied Herbert, "but I supposed that was
just to fill in conversation."

"A mere matter of curiosity to know how we were doing?"

"Yes."

"It's possible, though, that he had other objects in view."

"Possible, well, yes; but not probable."

Thus the boys speculated upon Mr. Goldwin's purpose, as they went about
their work--speculated and wondered till they found themselves at his
table, where all thought of this character was driven from their minds
by the pleasant conversation that followed.

It was only fifteen months before this that two boys met as if by chance
in City Hall Park one brisk October morning--one a country lad fresh
from the rocky hills of old Vermont, the other a keen eyed, bright faced
newsboy of New York. Look at the group around this table, and tell me
if you can see these chance acquaintances--the boy whose every act
proclaimed him a farmer's son, or the other--the shabbily dressed
product of a metropolitan street. And if perchance by voice or feature
you recognize the boy of education and ambition, look again, I urge you,
that you may find his friend. "There is but one boy present beside him
of the farm," I hear you say, "and surely it cannot be he, so well
dressed and grown so tall, whose language bespeaks a well bred lad." But
look yet once more, I pray you, and behold the sparkle of his eyes, the
old time humor playing over his features, and--ah! now he laughs and
shows his dimples once again--the same on either cheek reflecting the
merriment he feels. You yield at last, puzzled though I know you are,
and the question you would put to me--"How came it so, this marvelous
change in these two boys?" I will answer--THEY WORKED AND STUDIED.

[Illustration: BOB HUNTER, THE STUDENT AND YOUNG BUSINESS MAN.]

When dinner was over Mr. Goldwin and the two boys repaired to the
library. After a little preliminary talk the former said,

"I am contemplating going into business again."

"Your old business?" asked Herbert.

"Yes," replied Mr. Goldwin, rather deliberately, resting comfortably in
his easy chair and toying with his eye glasses. "I am better fitted for
that than any other. B