naged to acquire in a comparatively short time a pretty fair
comprehension of the system which prevailed in "Harum's bank,"
notwithstanding the incessant divagations of his instructor.

It was decided between Timson and our friend that on the following day
the latter should undertake the office work under supervision, and the
next morning John was engaged upon the preliminaries of the day's
business when his employer came in and seated himself at his desk in the
back room. After a few minutes, in which he was busy with his letters,
he appeared in the doorway of the front room. He did not speak, for John
saw him, and, responding to a backward toss of the head, followed him
into the "parlor," and at an intimation of the same silent character
shut the doors. Mr. Harum sat down at his desk, and John stood awaiting
his pleasure.

"How 'd ye make out yestidy?" he asked. "Git anythin' out of old
tongue-tied?" pointing with his thumb toward the front room.

"Oh, yes," said John, smiling, as he recalled the unceasing flow of
words which had enveloped Timson's explanations.

"How much longer do you think you'll have to have him 'round?" asked Mr.
Harum.

"Well," said John, "of course your customers are strangers to me, but so
far as the routine of the office is concerned I think I can manage after
to-day. But I shall have to appeal to you rather often for a while until
I get thoroughly acquainted with my work."

"Good fer you," said David. "You've took holt a good sight quicker 'n I
thought ye would, an' I'll spend more or less time 'round here fer a
while, or be where you c'n reach me. It's like this," he continued;
"Chet's a helpless kind of critter, fer all his braggin' an' talk, an' I
ben feelin' kind o' wambly about turnin' him loose--though the Lord
knows," he said with feeling, "'t I've had bother enough with him to
kill a tree. But anyway I wrote to some folks I know up to Syrchester to
git something fer him to do, an' I got a letter to send him along, an'
mebbe they'd give him a show. See?"

"Yes, sir," said John, "and if you are willing to take the chances of my
mistakes I will undertake to get on without him."

"All right," said the banker, "we'll call it a heat--and, say, don't let
on what I've told you. I want to see how long it'll take to git all over
the village that he didn't ask no odds o' nobody. Hadn't ben out o' a
job three days 'fore the' was a lot o' chances, an' all 't he had to do
was to take his