desire
to be under obligations to him in any way or to retain anything which
was not his--and gladly so--by right of ability and the
desire of those with whom he was associated. If he wanted to move back
into the company by deserting Jennie he would come in a very different
capacity from that of branch manager. He dictated a simple,
straight-forward business letter, saying:

"DEAR ROBERT, I know the time is drawing near when the company
must be reorganized under your direction. Not having any stock, I am
not entitled to sit as a director, or to hold the joint position of
secretary and treasurer. I want you to accept this letter as formal
notice of my resignation from both positions, and I want to have your
directors consider what disposition should be made of this position
and my services. I am not anxious to retain the branch-managership as
a branch-managership merely; at the same time I do not want to do
anything which will embarrass you in your plans for the future. You
see by this that I am not ready to accept the proposition laid down in
father's will--at least, not at present. I would like a definite
understanding of how you feel in this matter. Will you write and let
me know?

"Yours,

"LESTER."

Robert, sitting in his office at Cincinnati, considered this letter
gravely. It was like his brother to come down to "brass tacks." If
Lester were only as cautious as he was straightforward and direct,
what a man he would be! But there was no guile in the man--no
subtlety. He would never do a snaky thing--and Robert knew, in
his own soul, that to succeed greatly one must. "You have to be
ruthless at times--you have to be subtle," Robert would say to
himself. "Why not face the facts to yourself when you are playing for
big stakes?" He would, for one, and he did.

Robert felt that although Lester was a tremendously decent fellow
and his brother, he wasn't pliable enough to suit his needs. He was
too outspoken, too inclined to take issue. If Lester yielded to his
father's wishes, and took possession of his share of the estate, he
would become, necessarily, an active partner in the affairs of the
company. Lester would be a barrier in Robert's path. Did Robert want
this? Decidedly he did not. He much preferred that Lester should hold
fast to Jennie, for the present at least, and so be quietly shelved by
his own act.

After long consideration, Robert dictated a politic letter. He
hadn't made up his mind yet just what