e let most of life slip by him. I
don't want you to do that." "Well, I'll try not to," sez I, "an' it may
be that beginnin' late in life like I am, I won't become enough of a
business man to get that way; but the' is one thing sure--I 'm through
with my nonsense. I'm not goin' around playin' like a boy any more, I'm
goin' to start in an' stick to business all this summer, an' see what
comes of it."

"Where you goin' to start in?" sez she.

"How do I know?" sez I. "I'm just goin' to knock around till I meet up
with a business openin', an' then I 'm goin' to put my full might into
it till I know the whole game."

"I don't believe that's the way they do it," sez she. "These ones that
I've heard braggin' about bein' business men don't look to me as if
they ever did much knockin' around. They generally have everything all
planned out when they begin, and then follow out the plans. Are you
goin' to start in some town or go into a big city?"

"Well, I can tell you more about it when I get back," sez I. "I stayed
three days in San Francisco oncet, but I didn't like it--it was too
cramped up. I'm thinkin' o' headin' that way though."

"Well, as soon as you've give business a good fair try-out, you'll come
back here an' tell us about it, won't you?" sez she. The sun had
dropped by this time; but I could still make out her face in the
twilight. The eyes were big an' soft an' glisteny, the lips were parted
an' were tremblin' a little; it was a brave little face, but it looked
lonesome. Something began to tighten around my heart, an' I didn't want
to go; but I had put my hands to the plow, an' I didn't intend to
back-track till I'd turned one full furrow. "Yes," I sez. "Honor
bright, just as soon as I've give it a fair trial I'll come back an'
let you know."

"You'll come before it snows if you can, won't you?" she sez, an' I
nodded.

Well, for my part, I'd rather quarrel when I'm goin' to break any ties.
I stayed for five meals after that, but they was uncommon dismal. We
all tried to act as if everything was runnin' to suit us, an' we all
made a successful failure of it. When at last I was ready to leave,
Jabez shook my hand and said, "Now this is just a vacation, Happy. Have
your outing an' then come back an' settle down here. Do you want to
take your money with you, or leave it in the bank until you decide to
invest it?"

"What money?" sez I.

He grinned. "Oh, you'll make a business man all right. Don't you
remember