e at all. But I would like to show the world the
civilizing values of good tools, and I'd go if I got the chance."

Jeannette's reaction was quicker than thinking; "Would you go half way
around the world just for that?" she asked, with a hint of alarm.

"Why, yes, I would," said J.W., "that is, if you were willing."

Whereupon everybody laughed but Jeannette, whose pale cheeks flamed into
sudden rosiness.

The minister came to her rescue. "It would be a good thing every way, if
more laymen would see the realities of Oriental life and bring back an
impartial report. Suppose you should be right, J.W., and we found that
the Orient could wait until the western hemisphere had been thoroughly
Christianized. Think how many thousands--perhaps millions--of dollars
could be directed into more productive channels. I can see what a great
influence such reports would have if they came from Christian laymen. We
have learned to expect stories of complete failure when the ordinary
traveler comes back; and maybe the missionaries have their bias too. But
business men with Christian ideals--that would be different."

Now, all this was far from unpleasant to J.W. He detested posing, but
why wouldn't it be worth something to have laymen report on missionary
work? Of course, though, if the time ever came when the firm was willing
to trust him abroad, he wouldn't have much chance to study missions.
Business would have to come first. It was no less a dream for being an
agreeable one.

"There's no danger of my going," he told them. "The Cummings people are
not sending cub salesmen to promote their big Asiatic trade. What could
they make by it?"

Then the talk drifted to the Carbrooks. Marty said, "Well, we've spoiled
your scheme a little, J.W., right here in Delafield. Joe Carbrook and
Marcia are in China by now, and I'd like to see both of 'em as they get
down to work. You can't keep all our interest on this side of the
Pacific so long as those two are on the other."

"No," said J.W., warmly, "and I don't want to. I'll help to back up
those two missionaries wherever they go." And his thoughts went back to
camp fire night at Cartwright Institute, when he had said to Joe
Carbrook without suspecting the consequences, "Say, Joe; if you think
you could be a doctor, why not a missionary doctor?"

Then he asked the company, "Just where have these missionary infants
been sent?"

Nobody knew, exactly. They had the name of the town and the pr