"Why, Shad," said Finnegan, in wide-eyed admiration, "our boy is
growing up!"

"He is, he certainly is. I love the idea!"

"Why, I think it's pretty good myself," said Dink.

"It has only one error--the lecturers."

"Why, that's the finest of the fine," said Dink indignantly. "You see
what I do. Here's Beekstein and Gumbo Binks been laying around as
waste material and the whole house kicking because we've been stuck
with two midnight-oilers. Now what do I do? I utilize them. I make
them a credit to the house, useful citizens."

"True, most true," said the Tennessee Shad. "But why pay? Never pay
any one anything."

Stover acknowledged the superior financial mind, while Finnegan
remained silent, his greatest tribute.

"I suppose we might lasso them," said Stover, "or bring them up in
chains."

"That's only amateurish and besides reprehensible," said the Tennessee
Shad. "No, the highest principle in finance, the real cream de la
creme, is to make others pay you for what you want them to do."

Stover slowly assimilated this profound truth.

"We'll charge twenty-five cents a week to students and we'll make
Beekstein and Gumbo disgorge half a plunk each for letting us listen
to them."

"I am ready to be convinced," said Dink, who still doubted.

"I'll show you how it's done," said the Tennessee Shad, who, going to
the door, called out: "Oh, you Beekstein!"

"Profound, profound mind," said Dennis de Brian de Boru Finnegan. "Doc
Macnooder is better on detail, but when it comes to theory the
Tennessee Shad is the Willie Keeler boy every time!"

"I've another idea," said Stover, "a way to get even with The Roman,
too."

"What's that?"

"To signal the gerund and the gerundive."

"Magnificent and most popular!" said the Tennessee Shad. "We'll put
that in as a guaranty. Who'll signal?"

"I'll signal," said Stover, claiming the privilege. "It's my right!"

Beekstein, who might be completely described as a pair of black-rimmed
spectacles riding an aquiline nose, now shuffled in with his
dictionary under his arm, his fingers between the leaves of a Cicero
to which he still clung.

"Mr. Hall," said the Tennessee Shad with a flourish, "take any chair
in the room."

Beekstein, alarmed by such generosity, sat down like a ramrod and cast
a roving, anxious glance under the beds and behind the screen.

"Beekstein," said the Tennessee Shad, to reassure him, "we have just
organized the Kennedy Educational Quick L