er carefully in his pocket-book.

"And when would you like me to begin, sir?" asked Henry, who had
scarcely opened his mouth since entering the room, the editor's shrewd
eye for character, together with Mr. Trevor Smith's valuable
testimonial, being all that Mr. Springthorpe had whereby to arrive at
his flattering estimate of the young man's brightness and peculiar
aptitude for journalism.

"Let me see, now--this is the 18th of July. Suppose we say that you
commence your duties here on Monday, the 25th. How would that suit you?"

"That would fit in nicely, 'Enry, my lad, wouldn't it?" said Mr.
Charles.

"Yes, sir," said the new reporter to the chief, who had been bought with
a price. "I could start on that day, as there is nothing to keep me at
Stratford."

"Do you know anything of shorthand?" the editor asked, as an
afterthought.

"A little, sir; and I am studying it every night just now."

"That's right, my boy, wire in at your shorthand; a reporter is of
little use without that accomplishment. To one of your ability it will
be easy to acquire. I picked it up myself in a fortnight, and even now,
although I seldom use it, I could still take my turn at a verbatim with
the best of them."

The great business completed, Mr. Charles and his son set out to look
for lodgings for Henry, being recommended to the mother of one of the
other reporters, who let apartments.

On the way back to Stratford, after having settled this little matter,
Edward John waxed as enthusiastic as his son in picturing the
possibilities which he had thus opened up for Henry. "Tis money makes
the mare to go, my lad," he said. "Five-and-twenty pounds is a goodish
bit out o' my savings, but I've always said you'd 'ave your chance, no
matter what it cost me."

"I hope that I'll be able to prove the money hasn't been wasted, dad."

"I'm sure o' that, 'Enry--if you only wire in at your work and show the
editor the stuff that's in you. Just fancy what old Miffin and the
others will say when they 'ear that 'Enry Chawles is a reporter on the
_Guardian_!"

"I mean to study very hard, get up my shorthand, and to write as much as
ever I can when I join the staff. But of course I shan't stay in
Wheelton all my life. There's better papers than the _Guardian_, you
know."

"That's the true spirit, lad; always look ahead. If I hadn't been
looking ahead all these years, where would the twenty-five pounds ha'
come from, and the money that's to keep yo