ment doubted you. You know, sir," he added, "you're quite welcome to
make my home yours so long as it suits your convenience."

Morgan replied that, as Kettering was probably aware, he had no money,
but that he was anxious to earn some, however little. Could he not do
so by learning to set up type?

Kettering looked hard at him, and Morgan bore the gaze without
flinching.

"I can see you mean it," he said, "so we won't waste time discussing
whether you're serious. Now, Mr. Druce, I don't know who you are, and
I'm not going to ask you any questions. I flatter myself I've got some
little skill in reading faces, and I knew from the first that you were
a gentleman, and one with his heart in the right place. Now don't
think I'm taking liberties, sir, but I should like you to think the
matter over again and see whether you would not do better to
communicate with your family and friends. I don't want to know how you
came to have the misfortune to marry my girl, but I feel that as a
fellow-man I ought to ask you to reconsider your position. Maybe your
folk are fretting and anxious about you. I'm only a plain man, but I
think I can lay some claim to common sense, and believe me I only
venture to speak to you like this because I respect you."

"I do intend communicating with my people," said Morgan, touched by
the old man's sincerity and thoughtfulness, "but I want to earn my
bread all the same. That is essential."

"I understand," said Kettering. "You want to feel yourself stand on
your own legs. Yes, that's a fine thing to feel. Well, as I said, I
like your face and I trust you. I hope you're not vexed at what I
ventured to say."

"On the contrary," said Morgan, "I am sincerely grateful to you for
having said it."

Kettering's face beamed, and its benevolent quality grew more marked.

"A boy apprentice is supposed to take seven years learning the trade,
sir, but we needn't get discouraged about that. A man anxious to
learn, with his wits about him--"

"I am anxious, and I have my wits about me," put in Morgan.

"Well, after three months he could make himself deuced handy."

Kettering's mild oath was simply intended by way of encouragement.

"You see," he went on, "once you'd learnt the lay of the case, you'd
soon get your hand in for straightforward setting, and then if you
didn't mind exercising your muscles, you could do a bit of pulling at
press. And a man of your education, sir, might turn his knowledge to
ac