-school and to attend church there--was to know personally
and become devoted to Henry Ward Beecher. And the two were synonymous.
There was no distance between Mr. Beecher and his "Plymouth boys."
Each understood the other. The tie was that of absolute comradeship.

"I don't believe in it, boys," said Mr. Beecher when Edward and his
friend broached the syndicate letter to him. "No one yet ever made a
cent out of my supposed literary work."

All the more reason, was the argument, why some one should.

Mr. Beecher smiled! How well he knew the youthful enthusiasm that
rushes in, etc.

"Well, all right! I like your pluck," he finally said. "I'll help you
if I can."

The young editors agreed to pay Mr. Beecher a weekly sum of two hundred
and fifty dollars--which he knew was considerable for them.

When the first article had been written they took him their first
check. He looked at it quizzically, and then at the boys. Then he
said simply: "Thank you." He took a pin and pinned the check to his
desk. There it remained, much to their curiosity.

The following week he had written the second article and the boys gave
him another check. He pinned that up over the other. "I like to look
at them," was his only explanation, as he saw Edward's inquiring glance
one morning.

The third check was treated the same way. When they handed him the
fourth, one morning, as he was pinning it up over the others, he asked:
"When do you get your money from the newspapers?"

He was told that the bills were going out that morning for the four
letters constituting a month's service.

"I see," he remarked.

A fortnight passed, then one day Mr. Beecher asked: "Well, how are the
checks coming in?"

"Very well," he was assured.

"Suppose you let me see how much you've got in," he suggested, and the
boys brought the accounts to him.

After looking at them he said: "That's very interesting. How much have
you in the bank?"

He was told the balance, less the checks given to him. "But I haven't
turned them in yet," he explained. "Anyhow, you have enough in bank to
meet the checks you have given me, and a profit besides, haven't you?"

He was assured they had.

Then, taking his bank-book from a drawer; he unpinned the six checks on
his desk, indorsed each, wrote a deposit slip, and, handing the book to
Edward, said:

"Just hand that in at the bank as you go by, will you?"

Edward was very young then, and Mr. Beecher's m