he
sermon was preached in Welsh.

"Well!" said Jack, when he came out, at the close of the service, "I
think I'll go back to the church I went to first. I don't look so
green now as I did then, but I'm sure the General will remember me."

He carried out this determination the next Sunday. The sexton gave him
a seat, and he took it, remarking to himself:

"A fellow feels more at home in a place where he's been before.
There's the General! I wish I was in his pew. I'll speak to him when
he comes out."

The great man appeared, in due season, and as he passed down the aisle
he came to a boy who was just leaving a pew. With a smile on his face,
the boy held out his hand and bowed.

"Good-morning," said the General, shaking hands promptly and bowing
graciously in return. Then he added, "I hope you'll come here every
Sunday."

[Illustration: _Jack speaks to the General_.]

That was all, but Jack received at least a bow, every Sunday, for four
weeks. On the Monday after the fourth Sunday, the door of Gifford &
Company's store was shadowed by the entrance of a very proud-looking
man who stalked straight on to the desk, where he was greeted cordially
by Mr. Gifford, for he seemed to be an old friend.

"You have a boy here named John Ogden?" asked the General.

"Yes, General," said Mr. Gifford. "A fine young fellow."

"Is he doing well?" asked the General.

"We've no fault to find with him," was the answer. "Do you care to see
him? He's out on business, just now."

"No, I don't care to see him," said the General. "Tell him, please,
that I called. I feel interested in his progress, that's all.
Good-morning, Mr. Gifford."

The head of the firm bowed the general out, and came back to say to Mr.
Jones: "That youngster beats me! He can pick up a millionaire, or a
governor, as easily as he can measure a pound of coffee."

"Some might think him rather bold," said Jones, "but I don't. He is
absorbed in his work, and he puts it through. He's the kind of boy we
want, no doubt of that."

"See what he's up to, this morning!" said Mr. Gifford. "It's all
right. He asked leave, and I told him he might go."

Jack had missed seeing the General because he did not know enough of
the grocery business. He had said to Mr. Gifford:

"I think, Mr. Gifford, I ought to know more about this business from
its very beginnings. If you'll let me, I'd like to see where we get
supplies."

That meant a toilsome round amon