s where
_you_ belong, instead of attempting all this university business."

There were times these days when Quin quite agreed with Madam. When the
tide of his confidence was out, he regarded himself as a hopeless fool
and despaired of ever making up the years he had lost. But at high tide
there was no limit to his aspirations, nor to his courage. While his
struggles at the university kept him humble, his success at the factory
constantly elated him. Having achieved two promotions in less than three
months, he already saw himself a prospective member of the firm. In fact,
he slightly anticipated this event by flinging himself into the affairs
of Bartlett & Bangs with even more ardor than was advisable. Hardly a day
passed that he did not seek a chance to apprise Mr. Bangs of some
colossal scheme or startling innovation that would revolutionize the
business.

"See here, young man," said Mr. Bangs, when this had occurred once too
often; "I pay you to work for me, not to think for me."

"But they are the same thing," urged Quin, with appalling temerity. "Why,
I can't sleep nights for thinking how other firms are walking away with
our business. Smith & Snelling, up in Illinois, have got a plant that's
half as big as ours, and they export twice as much stuff as we do. And
their plows can't touch ours; they ain't in a thousand miles of 'em."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen 'em both in action, and I've heard men talk about 'em. Why, if
we could get a start in the Orient, and open up an agency in Japan and
China----"

"There--that will do," said Mr. Bangs testily; "you get back to your
work. You talk too much."

Both Mr. Ranny and Mr. Chester warned Quin again and again that he was
not supposed to emerge from the obscurity of his humble position as
shipping clerk. But Quin was the descendant of a long line of
missionaries whose duty it was to reform. The effect of his heredity and
early environment was not only to increase his self-reliance and
intensify his motive power, but to commit him to ideals as well. Once he
recognized a condition as being capable of improvement, he could not rest
until he had tried to better it.

It was not until the approach of Easter that his mind began to stray from
the highroads of industry and learning into the byways of pleasure. From
certain signs about the Bartlett house it was apparent that preparations
were in progress for an event of importance. Paperhangers and cleaners
came and w