rtised? And why could
not he fill them--any one of them? He was honest, ambitious, willing to
work hard, wrote a splendid hand, had had some experience in clerking in
a country store, and, best of all, he knew he would be faithful to his
employer--all excellent qualifications in a general way--qualifications
that probably seemed to him irresistible. Then, too, might he not lend
a degree of intelligence, of thought to the business that would be
helpful? This was a point that did not occur to him at first--not till
his mind became inspired with the subject; but now the idea seemed to
him a good one, and he wondered that he had not thought of it before. At
any rate, he decided not to lose sight of it again, for he knew--his
common sense told him, and he had read also, that the men who move
things in this world are men of brains--men who _think_, who lend ideas
to business, to inventions, to anything and everything with which they
have to deal.

[Illustration: HERBERT RANDOLPH IN THE POST OFFICE.]

Thus another complication was added, for now he must consider in
determining if the position he accepted would give him the widest scope
for thought, and the broadest play for genius, ideas, originality and
enterprise. His imagination ran fast. He was dead to the busy scenes
about him. Great questions pressed home upon him for decision, and he
did not decide quickly and without thought, as a light headed boy would
have done. No, he pondered long and hard over the subject which meant
so much to him, and perhaps to the entire commerce of the city and even
the finances of the nation. What might not grow out of his start in
life--the start of a thoughtful, industrious, original man? How
important, then, that it should be a right start! What might not come of
a false venture? How the possibilities of the future might be dwarfed by
such a move!

These were momentous questions for this young ambitious boy to solve. He
grappled with them bravely, and with flushed cheeks and dilated eyes
knitted his brows and thought. He thought hard, thought as one with the
responsibilities of a nation resting upon him--this young untried,
untrained boy from old Vermont.

"No, I will not take it," he broke out suddenly and with striking
determination in his face. "Simply because I write a good hand they
would keep me writing policies all the time, and then I believe the
insurance business is run like a big machine. No, I do not want it and
will not