really thought I had better," he added bravely.

Mr. Coddington dropped his hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled down
into the anxious face.

"There will be no more school for you, son," he answered slowly. "At
least not the sort of school that you dread so much. No, in future you
must find your books in the great world about you--in men, and in the
things they are doing; and this education of yours is precisely the
subject I came here to talk about."

Leaning forward the president began slowly:

"Mrs. Jackson, on the fifteenth of next month, Mrs. Coddington and I are
to sail for England."

"What!" gasped Peter, forgetting for the moment that he should not
interrupt.

"We are to take Peter with us," went on Mr. Coddington ignoring the
interruption and proceeding in the same earnest, deliberate tone. "He
has worked hard and faithfully, and needs a good rest. The trip,
however, is not to be an entirely profitless one, for while in England I
shall take him to visit some of the finest tanneries, that he may
observe other methods for doing the same things that we are doing here."

An exclamation of pleasure escaped Peter's lips.

His father smiled.

"After we have collected in England all the information possible and
have seen something of the sheep country there, and the great houses
from which hides are shipped, we shall go to Paris and place orders for
several large consignments of skins. I want my son to see for himself,
Mrs. Jackson, just how this end of the business is conducted, for I hope
and expect that some day these duties will be his, and I want him
equipped to meet them with wisdom and intelligence."

"You mean that you are going to fit Peter to manage the tanneries,"
nodded Mrs. Jackson.

"Precisely."

There was a pause.

No one spoke.

It was evident that Mr. Coddington had more to say, and that he was
finding it a little difficult to continue.

"In this great business, however," he went on at last, "Peter will need
help. He will not be able to carry so much care all alone."

"But you will----" burst out Peter.

"Oh, I shall be around here for some time yet, God willing," replied his
father cheerily. "Still we old fellows cannot expect to stay here
forever. We must consider the future, dear boy. Therefore I wish to
train up another lad to share Peter's burdens with him--a fellow with
good stuff in him; some one whom Peter likes and can trust. It is with
this end in view, Mrs. Jackson, t