“When papa was out here for the dance I spoke to him about Helen, and we had such a nice little talk. The next day he spoke with Miss Preston about those very things, but I do not know what came of it. I wish I did. His business affairs bring him into contact with so many large firms of different kinds that I am almost sure he could secure something for Mr. Burgess. Do you know what I am going to do?” said Toinette, eagerly, “I am going to write to him right off, tell him all about our plans; may I? About the wedding, the bridesmaids, and everything; then I am going to ask him if he has heard of anything that he thinks would help Mr. Burgess, and, who knows, maybe, by the first of June all will be fixed up so nicely that Helen can have things as nice as the other girls—and, oh, Miss Howard!—wouldn’t it be lovely if she could go abroad with Miss Preston?” and Toinette clasped her hands in rapture at the very thought.
Miss Howard laughed a happy little laugh, and, taking Toinette’s face in both her hands, kissed her cheeks very tenderly, saying as she did so:
“I see that I made no mistake in my estimate of your character, dear, although I did not bargain for quite such a wise, resourceful little head and efficient helper as you have proved. How did you manage to think out so much in so short a time?”
“I suppose it is because my brains have never been overburdened with thoughts for other people,” said Toinette, with an odd expression overspreading her face, “and so the part of them devoted to that sort of thing has had time to develop to an astonishing degree. But I guess I’d better begin to use the power before it becomes abnormal; Miss Preston says that abnormal development of any sort is dangerous,” and she gave a funny little laugh as she glanced slyly into Miss Howard’s eyes.
Miss Howard understood the quaint remark, and, rising from her seat, said: “I shall not soon forget our little talk, but must leave you now for the ‘school ma’am’s’ duties. One of them will be to endeavor to persuade Pauline that it was not Henry VIII. who sought to reduce the American Colonies to submission, nor Lafayette who won the battle of Waterloo. Good-bye,” and away tripped Miss Howard over the soft green lawn.
Toinette sat for a few moments, and then, springing up, said to herself: “I might as well go and write that letter this very minute, and I do hope papa will know of something right off. How lovely it would be!”
The letter was soon written, and within two hours was speeding upon its way to New York. Toinette had reasoned well, and, as good luck would have it, the letter arrived at a most auspicious moment. As Mr. Reeve sat reading it, his face reflecting the happiness he felt at receiving it so close upon the one which came to him every Monday morning, a client was shown into his office.
It happened to be one who was about to embark upon a new line of business in which he was venturing large sums of money, and which required capable, trustworthy men to carry out his plans. He had consulted with Mr. Reeve many times before, and nearly all details were completed; the few that remained dealt with minor matters, so Mr. Reeve felt considerable satisfaction at the thought of having brought all arrangements through so successfully. But it was certainly anything but a contented face he saw before him when he glanced up from Toinette’s letter upon Mr. Fowler’s entrance, and his first words were: “Well, for a prosperous capitalist, you bear a woeful countenance, Ned.”
“If mine is woeful, yours certainly is not,” was the prompt answer. “You look as though you had been the recipient of some very pleasing news.”
“A pretty good sort,” said Mr. Reeve, smiling. “The sort that makes a man feel old and young at the same time. Ever get any of that?”