tell me it is pretty good。〃
〃Thank you； sir。〃
〃Eh？ Oh； you're welcome。〃
That was all。 Perhaps considering its source it was a good deal；
but Albert was not of the age where such considerations are likely
to be made。
Helen's praise was warm and enthusiastic。 〃I knew you could do it
if you only would；〃 she declared。 〃And oh； I'm SO glad you did！
Now you must keep on trying。〃
That bit of advice was quite superfluous。 Young Speranza having
sampled the sublime intoxication of seeing himself in print； was
not ready to sober off yet a while。 He continued to bombard the
Item with verses。 They were invariably accepted； but when he sent
to a New York magazine a poem which he considered a gem； the
promptness with which it was returned staggered his conceit and was
in that respect a good thing for him。
However； he kept on trying。 Helen would not have permitted him to
give up even if he had wished。 She was quite as much interested in
his literary aspirations as he was himself and her encouragement
was a great help to him。 After months of repeated trial and
repeated rejection he opened an envelope bearing the name of a
fairly well…known periodical to find therein a kindly note stating
that his poem； 〃Sea Spaces〃 had been accepted。 And a week later
came a check for ten dollars。 That was a day of days。 Incidentally
it was the day of a trial balance in the office and the assistant
bookkeeper's additions and multiplications contained no less than
four ghastly errors。
The next afternoon there was an interview in the back office。
Captain Zelotes and his grandson were the participants。 The
subject discussed was 〃Business versus Poetry；〃 and there was a
marked difference of opinion。 Albert had proclaimed his triumph at
home； of course； had exhibited his check； had been the recipient of
hugs and praises from his grandmother and had listened to paeans
and hallelujahs from Mrs。 Ellis。 When he hurried around to the
parsonage after supper； Helen had been excited and delighted at the
good news。 Albert had been patted on the back quite as much as was
good for a young man whose bump of self…esteem was not inclined
toward under…development。 When he entered the private office of Z。
Snow and Co。 in answer to his grandfather's summons； he did so
light…heartedly； triumphantly； with self…approval written large
upon him。
But though he came like a conquering hero； he was not received like
one。 Captain Zelotes sat at his desk； the copy of the Boston
morning paper which he had been reading sticking out of the waste
basket into which it had been savagely jammed a half hour before。
The news had not been to the captain's liking。 These were the
September days of 1914； the German Kaiser was marching forward 〃mit
Gott〃 through Belgium； and it began to look as if he could not be
stopped short of Paris。 Consequently； Captain Zelotes； his
sympathies from the first with England and the Allies； was not
happy in his newspaper reading。
Albert entered； head erect and eyes shining。 If Gertie Kendrick
could have seen him then she would have fallen down and worshiped。
His grandfather looked at him in silence for a moment； tapping his
desk with the stump of a pencil。 Albert； too； was silent； he was
already thinking of another poem with which to dazzle the world；
and his head was among the rosy clouds。
〃Sit down； Al；〃 said Captain Zelotes shortly。
Albert reluctantly descended to earth and took the battered
armchair standing beside the desk。 The captain tapped with his
pencil upon the figure…covered sheet of paper before him。 Then he
said：
〃Al； you've been here three years come next December； ain't you？〃
〃Whyyes； sir； I believe I have。〃
〃Um…hm； you have。 And for the heft of that time you've been in
this office。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Yes。 And Labe Keeler and I have been doin' our best to make a
business man out of you。 You understand we have； don't you？〃
Albert looked puzzled and a little uneasy。 Into his roseate dreams
was just beginning to filter the idea that his grandfather's tone
and manner were peculiar。
〃Why； yes； sir； of course I understand it；〃 he replied。
〃Well； I asked you because I wasn't quite sure whether you did or
not。 Can you guess what this is I've got on my desk here？〃
He tapped the figure…covered sheet of paper once more。 Before
Albert could speak the captain answered his own question。
〃I'll tell you what it is；〃 he went on。 〃It's one of the latest
samples of your smartness as a business man。 I presume likely you
know that Laban worked here in this office until three o'clock this
mornin'； didn't you？〃
Albert did not know it。 Mr。 Keeler had told him nothing of the
sort。
〃Why； no；〃 he replied。 〃Did he？ What for？〃
〃Ye…es； he did。 And what for？ Why； just to find out what was the
matter with his trial balance； that's all。 When one of Labe's
trial balances starts out for snug harbor and ends up on a reef
with six foot of water in her hold； naturally Labe wants to get her
afloat and pumped dry as quick as possible。 He ain't used to it；
for one thing； and it makes him nervous。〃
Albert's uneasiness grew。 When his grandfather's speech became
sarcastic and nautical； the young man had usually found that there
was trouble coming for somebody。
〃II'm sorry Laban had to stay so late；〃 he stammered。 〃I should
have been glad to stay and help him； but he didn't ask me。〃
〃No…o。 Well； it may possibly be that he cal'lated he was carryin'
about all your help that the craft would stand； as 'twas。 Any more
might sink her。 See here； young feller〃 Captain Zelotes dropped
his quiet sarcasm and spoke sharp and brisk： 〃See here；〃 he said；
〃do you realize that this sheet of paper I've got here is what
stands for a day's work done by you yesterday？ And on this sheet
there was no less than four silly mistakes that a child ten years
old hadn't ought to make； that an able…bodied idiot hadn't ought to
make。 But YOU made 'em； and they kept Labe Keeler here till three
o'clock this mornin'。 Now what have you got to say for yourself？〃
As a matter of fact； Albert had very little to say； except that he
was sorry； and that his grandfather evidently did not consider
worth the saying。 He waved the protestation aside。
〃Sorry！〃 he repeated impatiently。 〃Of course you're sorry； though
even at that I ain't sure you're sorry enough。 Labe was sorry；
too； I don't doubt； when his bedtime went by and he kept runnin'
afoul of one of your mistakes after another。 I'm sorry； darned
sorry； to find out that you can make such blunders after three
years on board here under such teachin' as you've had。 But bein'
sorry don't help any to speak of。 Any fool can be sorry for his
foolishness； but if that's all； it don't help a whole lot。 Is
bein' sorry the best excuse you've got to offer？ What made you
make the mistakes in the first place？〃
Albert's face was darkly red under the lash of his grandfather's
tongue。 Captain Zelotes and he had had disagreements and verbal
encounters before； but never since they had been together had the
captain spoken like this。 And the young fellow was no longer
seventeen； he was twenty。 The flush began to fade from his cheeks
and the pallor which meant the rise of the Speranza temper took its
place。
〃What made you make such fool blunders？〃 repeated the captain。
〃You knew better； didn't you？〃
〃Yes；〃 sullenly； 〃I suppose I did。〃
〃You know mighty well you did。 And as nigh as I can larn from what
I got out of Labanwhich wasn't much； I had to pump it out of him
word by wordthis ain't the first set of mistakes you've made。
You make 'em right along。 If it wasn't for him helpin' you out and
coverin' up your mistakes； this firm would be in hot water with its
customers two…thirds of the time and the books would be fust…rate
as a puzzle； somethin' to use for a guessin' match； but plaguey
little good as straight accounts of a goin' concern。 Now what
makes you act this way？ Eh？ What makes you？〃
〃Oh； I don't know。 See here； Grandfather〃
〃Hold on a minute。 You don't know； eh？ Well； I know。 It ain't
because you ain't smart enough to keep a set of books and keep 'em
well。 I don't expect you to be a Labe Keeler； there ain't many
bookkeepers like him on this earth。 But I do know you're smart
enough to keep my books and keep 'em as they'd ought to be； if you
want to keep 'em。 The trouble with you is that you don't want to。
You've got too much of your good…for…nothin〃 Captain Lote pulled
up short； cleared his throat； and went on： 〃You've got too much
'poet' in you；〃 he declared； 〃that's what's the matter。〃
Albert leaned forward。 〃That wasn't what you were going to say；〃
he said quickly。 〃You were going to say that I had too much of my
father in me。〃
It was the captain's turn to redden。 〃Eh？〃 he stammered。 〃Why；
II How do you know what I was goin' to say？〃
〃Because I do。 You say it all the time。 Or； if you don't say it；
you look it。 There is hardly a day that I don't catch you looking
at me as if you were expecting me to commit murder or do some
outrageous thing or other。 And I know； too； that it is all because
I'm my father's son。 Well； that's all right； feel that way about
me if you want to； I can't help it。〃
〃Here； here； Al！ Hold on！ Don't〃
〃I won't hold on。 And I tell you this： I hate this work here。 You
say I don't want to keep books。 Well； I don't。 I'm sorry I made
the errors yesterday and put Keeler to so much trouble； but I'll
probably make more。 No；〃 with a sudden outburst of determination；
〃I won't make any more。 I won't； because I'm not going to keep
books any more。 I'm through。〃
Captain Zelotes leaned back in his chair。
〃You're what？〃 he asked slowly。
〃I'm through。 I'll never work in this office another day。 I'm
through。〃
The captain's brows drew together as he stared steadily at his
grandson。 He slowly tugged at his beard。
〃Humph！〃 he grunted； after a moment。 〃So you're through； eh？
Goin' to quit and go somewheres else； you mean？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Um…hm。 I see。 Where are you goin' to go？〃
〃I don't know。 But I'm not going to make a fool of myself at this
job any longer。 I can't