y
firmament was destined to rank among those of the first magnitude.
Already, among the banker's closest book friends, the new book was being
discussed, and praised. He would bring a copy for Auntie Sue and Betty
Jo to read. It was not only the book of the year;--it was, in Homer T.
Ward's opinion, one of the really big books of the Century.

"Well," commented Betty Jo, when they had read and reread that part of
the letter, "dear old Uncle Homer may be a very conservative banker,
but he certainly is more than liberal when he touches on the question of
this new author. Won't we have fun, Auntie Sue! Oh, won't we!"

Then they planned the whole thing, and proceeded to carry out their
plan.

Brian was told only that Mr. Ward was coming to visit Auntie Sue, and
that he must be busy somewhere away from the house when the banker
arrived, and not come until he was sent for, because Auntie Sue must
make a full confession to her old pupil of the part she had played
in the Re-Creation of Brian Kent before Homer T. Ward should meet his
former clerk.

Brian, never dreaming that there were other confessions to be made,
smilingly agreed to do exactly as he was told.

When the momentous day arrived, Betty Jo met her uncle in Thompsonville,
and all the way home she talked so continuously of her school, and asked
so many questions about his conduct and life and their many Chicago
friends, that the helpless bank president had no chance whatever of
asking her a single embarrassing question. But, when dinner was over
(Brian had taken his lunch with him to the clearing), Homer T. Ward
wanted to know things.

"Was Brian Kent still working in the neighborhood?"

Auntie Sue informed him that Brian was still working in the
neighborhood.

"Betty Jo had seen the bank clerk?" Betty Jo's uncle supposed. "What did
she think of the fellow?"

Betty Jo thought Brian Kent was a rather nice fellow.

"And how had Betty Jo been amusing herself while her old uncle was
slaving in the city?"

Betty Jo had been doing a number of things: Helping Auntie Sue with her
housework; learning to cook; keeping up her stenographic work; reading.

"Reading?" That reminded him, and forthwith Mr. Ward went to his room,
and returned with the book.

And then those two blessed women listened and admired while he
introduced them to the new genius, and read certain favorite passages
from the great book, and grew enthusiastic on the new author, saying all
that he