Then she began to get a little worried, and wondered if we were making a mistake. So she started the salary on a higher figure for the first year than I would get. This was good sense, though it made me feel a little less confident than I had been feeling before; but it gave me a good business idea, and I brought it frankly out.

'Portia, dear, would you mind going with me that day, when I confront those old gentlemen?'

She shrank a little, but said 'N-o; if my being with you would help hearten you. But - would it be quite proper, do you think?'

'No, I don't know that it would - in fact, I'm afraid it wouldn't; but, you see, there's so much dependent upon it that-'

'Then I'll go anyway, proper or improper,' she said, with a beautiful and generous enthusiasm. 'Oh, I shall be so happy to think I'm helping!'

'Helping, dear? Why, you'll be doing it all. You're so beautiful and so lovely and so winning, that with you there I can pile our salary up till I break those good old fellows, and they'll never have the heart to struggle.'

Sho! You should have seen the rich blood mount in her face, and her happy eyes shine!