u
think I might not be able to handle it?"

"Well, let's say that you've got a stable of gentle, quiet mares, and
you turn them suddenly into thoroughbreds. You have to make allowances
for that, Mr. Cutter. The same stalls, the same railings, the same
stable boys might not be able to do the job anymore."

"Yes," Cutter said, smiling without humor, "but the _owner_ has nothing
to do with stalls and railings and stable boys, only in the sense that
they are subsidiary. The owner is the owner, and if he has to make a few
subsidiary changes, all right. But nothing really affects the owner, no
matter whether you've got gentle mares or thoroughbreds."

Bolen nodded, as though he had expected that exact answer. "You are a
very certain man, aren't you, Mr. Cutter?"

"Would I be here, in this office, heading this company, if I weren't,
Bolen?"

Bolen smiled.

Cutter straightened in his chair. "All right, do we go on? Do we shoot
for the limit?"

Bolen chose his words carefully. "I am interested in testing my
Confidet, Mr. Cutter. This is the most important thing in the world to
me. I don't recommend what you want to do. But, as long as you'll give
me accurate reports on the effects of the Confidet, I'll go along with
you. Providing you grant me one concession."

Cutter frowned.

"I want our written contract dissolved."

Cutter reddened faintly. Nobody ever demanded anything of him and got it
easily, but his mind turned over rapidly, judging the increase in
efficiency, the increase in profits. He would not necessarily have to
stop with administrative personnel. There were other departments, too,
that could stand a little sharpening. Finally he nodded, reluctantly.
"All right, Bolen."

Bolen smiled and left quickly, and Cutter stared at his desk for a
moment, tense. Then, he relaxed and the hard sternness of his face
softened a bit. He put his finger on his desk calendar, and looked at a
date Lucile had circled for him. He grinned, and picked up the
telephone, and dialed.

"This is George H. Cutter," he said to the man who answered. "My wife's
birthday is next Saturday. Do you remember that antique desk I bought
her last year? Good. Well, the truth is, she uses it all the time, so
this year I'd like a good chair to match it. She's just using an
occasional chair right now, and..."

* * * * *

Like everything he gave her, Mary liked his gift extremely well, and
night after night, aft