nything he could. I 'll write and ask, straight away, if
you want me to."

"Suppose you do; just for information, you know, then I shall have
something to go upon. I want to have a feasible plan all ready, before
I speak to father. There 's nothing so convincing to business men as
facts, you know."

Polly could not help smiling at Tom's new tone, it seemed so strange
to hear him talking about anything but horses and tailors, dancing and
girls. She liked it, however, as much as she did the sober expression of
his face, and the way he had lately of swinging his arms about, as if he
wanted to do something energetic with them.

"That will be wise. Do you think your father will like this plan?"

"Pretty sure he will. Yesterday, when I told him I must go at something
right off, he said, 'Anything honest, Tom, and don't forget that your
father began the world as a shop-boy.' You knew that, did n't you?"

"Yes, he told me the story once, and I always liked to hear it, because
it was pleasant to see how well he had succeeded."

"I never did like the story, a little bit ashamed, I 'm afraid; but
when we talked it over last night, it struck me in a new light, and I
understood why father took the failure so well, and seems so contented
with this poorish place. It is only beginning again, he says; and having
worked his way up once, he feels as if he could again. I declare to you,
Polly, that sort of confidence in himself, and energy and courage in a
man of his years, makes me love and respect the dear old gentleman as I
never did before."

"I 'm so glad to hear you say that, Tom! I 've sometimes thought you did
n't quite appreciate your father, any more than he knew how much of a
man you were."

"Never was till to-day, you know," said Tom, laughing, yet looking as
if he felt the dignity of his one and twenty years. "Odd, is n't it, how
people live together ever so long, and don't seem to find one another
out, till something comes to do it for them. Perhaps this smash-up was
sent to introduce me to my own father."

"There 's philosophy for you," said Polly, smiling, even while she felt
as if adversity was going to do more for Tom than years of prosperity.

They both sat quiet for a minute, Polly in the big chair looking at him
with a new respect in her eyes, Tom on the stool near by slowly tearing
up a folded paper he had absently taken from the floor while he talked.

"Did this surprise you?" he asked, as a little white