y to wind up my affairs, and I
hope you see the wisdom in holding our talk strictly to the business in
hand."

The president walked in past the grille and sat down at the table; by
the mere look he gave the young man Britt succeeded in climaxing the
succession of the morning's surprises; Vaniman had more reason than the
others to be amazed.

"Frank, I'm sorry!" There was wistful fervor in the declaration; for the
first time in their association the president had called the cashier by
his Christian name.

Vaniman had risen from his stool; he sat down again and goggled at
Britt.

"If the two of us begin to apologize, we'll get all snarled up," went on
the president. "Real men can get down to cases in a better way. I did a
lot of thinking last night; probably you did, too. The hell fire I went
through yesterday would upset any man. To-day I'm scorched and sensible.
I went after something I couldn't get. Just now I don't ask you to stay
here permanently. You can stay right along if you want to, I'll say that
here and now! But if you're bound to go--later--go when you can leave on
the square, after you have broken another man into the job, if you feel
you don't want it. I'll send you away then with my best wishes and a
clean bill! Please don't make me crawl any more'n I'm doing!"

It was an appeal to Youth's hale generosity--and generosity dominated
all the other qualities in Vaniman's nature. "I'll stay, Mr. Britt," he
blurted. "After what you have said I can't help staying."

The banker rose and stretched out his hand. "Men can put more into a
grip of the fist than women can into an afternoon of gabble, Frank."

After the vigorous clasp of palm in palm, Britt had something more to
say. "Vona was terribly stirred up last night, and nobody can blame her.
She served notice on me that she was done in the bank. But she needs
the money and you and I need her help. Go up and ask her to walk back in
here as if nothing had happened. And tell her that what I said about the
raise in her pay holds good."

"I think you ought to go and tell her, Mr. Britt," Vaniman demurred.
"And my standing with Mr. and Mrs. Harnden--"

"I guess your standing will be better from now on," Britt broke in,
twisting his face into a wry smile. "I left Harnden with a hot ear on
him last night! Furthermore, you'll have to ask her. She declared that
if her father or mother or I tried to change her mind about coming back
here we'd be wasting breath.