ink that entitles my
opinion to some respect. I've got the good of this concern at heart
and I want to show what can be done along original lines."

McLaughlin looked at Perkins and Perkins nodded affirmatively.

"Skinner, I 'm going to let you see what you can do," said the senior
partner; then paused. He turned to Perkins. "The devil of it is, what
to do with Hobson."

"Let him take charge of the San Francisco office," Perkins suggested.

"I don't like to hurt the old chap's feelings."

"Hurt his feelings? Why, he's always wanted to go back to the
Coast--where he belongs."

All that day, while Skinner was instructing the young man who was to
succeed him as "cage man," he was very happy. He was happy that the
field of his activities was broadening, that he'd have a chance to show
what was in him. But he was particularly happy that now he would never
have to tell Honey that he'd deceived her.

This, however, would involve a negative deception, worse luck, he
mused, for he would not be able to tell her about the twenty-five
dollars advance he'd just got. He would go right along as he had been
doing, each week giving Honey ten dollars to deposit in the Meadeville
National. Then he, himself, would deposit ten dollars a week until
he'd made up for the number of weeks that had elapsed since he'd
promoted himself. Thus their little bank account would remain intact,
and Honey would not know unless--his heart slowed down--McLaughlin
should take to bragging about him and how they'd shown their
appreciation of what he'd done in St. Paul, and Mrs. McLaughlin should
get hold of it and pass it along to Honey--which would have the effect
of perpetuating his original, devilish raise.

But he was n't going to cross that bridge yet!

And so it came about that eight months later, one beautiful morning in
December, McLaughlin said to the junior partner, "That which I feared
has come upon us!"

"What's the matter? Has Skinner asked for another raise?"

"Worse'n that. The Starr-Bacon people have made him an offer!"

"I see! That's because he pried Willard Jackson and others loose from
that concern. Probably they want him to use the same method to get
those people away from us and back in to the S.-B. fold."

"It's clear what _they_ want. It is n't so clear what we've got to do."

"Raise his pay again," Perkins suggested.

"That ain't enough. Skinner claims he wants broader fields of
opportunity."

"I hope