k of Rotary Clubs, also of millstones. No, he must be
fugitive from honour, from wealth, from Chambers of Commerce. Fugitive
from all save his own instinct. Those who have bound themselves are only
too eager to see the chains on others. There was no use attempting to
explain to Mr. Beagle--the dear old creature would not understand.

The next day, after happily and busily discharging his duties, and
staying late to clean up his desk, Gissing left Beagle and Company
for good. The only thing that worried him, as he looked round his
comfortable office for the last time, was the thought of little Miss
Whippet's chagrin when she found her new promotion at an end. She had
taken such delight in their mutual dignity. On the filing cabinet beside
her typewriter desk was a pink geranium in a pot, which she watered
every morning. He could not resist pulling out a drawer of her desk, and
smiled gently to see the careful neatness of its compartments, with
all her odds and ends usefully arranged. The ink-eraser, with an absurd
little whisk attached to it for brushing away fragments of rubbed paper;
the fascicle of sharpened pencils held together by an elastic band; the
tiny phial of typewriter oil; a small box of peppermints; a crumpled
handkerchief; the stenographic notebook with a pencil inserted at the
blank page, so as to be ready for instant service the next day; the long
paper-cutter for slitting envelopes; her memorandum pad, on which was
written Remind Mr. G. of Window Display Luncheon--it seemed cruel to
deprive her of all these innocent amusements in which she delighted so
much. And yet he could not go on as a General Manager simply for the
happiness of Miss Whippet.

In the foliage of the geranium, where he knew she would find it the
first thing in the morning, he left a note:--

MISS WHIPPET: I am leaving the store to-night and will not be back.
Please notify Mr. Beagle. Explain to him that I shall never take a
position with one of his competitors; I am leaving not because I didn't
enjoy the job, but because if I stayed longer I might enjoy it too much.
Tell Mr. Beagle that I specially urge him to retain you as assistant
to the new Manager, whoever that may be. You are entirely competent to
attend to the routine, and the new Manager can spend all his time at
business lunches.

Please inform the Display Managers' Club that I can't speak at their
meeting to-morrow.

I wish you all possible good-fortune.