“That’s too bad. If he was here we’d have him in and hear his story of it.” Mr. Connors frowned and played with his watch-charms. Then his face cleared and he smiled genially again. “Sure,” he said, “what’s the use quarreling about a couple of dollars, boys? Maybe you have it right, after all, or maybe it was no more your fault than Johnny’s. A couple of dollars won’t break me nor you. Say we call it quits and talk no more about it?” And Mr. Connors smiled so kindly that Willard began to feel ashamed. Tom, however, was made of sterner stuff. “That’s all right, sir, but it cost us――――” “Never mind,” interrupted Willard. “If Mr. Connors is willing to call it square we are, I guess.” “All right,” Tom muttered. “That’s the way, boys,” said the liveryman heartily. “’Tis settled then, and no hard feelings on either side. Sure, when gentlemen have anything between them there’s nothing like getting together and talking it over, eh? Fair and square, boys; that’s my motto!” “Yes, sir,” replied Willard, preparing to get up from the rickety wooden chair that had been assigned to him. But Mr. Connors displayed no evidence that he considered the interview at an end. Instead, “Well, and how’s it going?” he asked. “Doing pretty well, are you?” “The business, you mean?” asked Willard. “Yes, sir, we’re doing very well indeed.” “That’s good. And now it’s getting along toward school time again, eh? Too bad you’ve got to give it up, I say!” “We――we’re not going to give it up!” exclaimed Tom. “We’re going to keep right on with it!” “Are you now? That’s fine, ain’t it? But what’ll you be doing with that automobile when the snow’s a foot or so deep on the streets?” “We’ll put chains on the wheels and get along all right,” answered Tom triumphantly. “Is it so? They’re great things, automobiles, ain’t they? But I heard you were going back to school and your friend here was going to college. I forget who told me that. I think, maybe though, it was my son George.” “We are, sir,” responded Willard, “but we’re going to have someone else run the car for us. It’s too good a business to give up.” “Right you are! But――――” and Mr. Connors shook his head doubtfully――“’tain’t the same when you have someone else do it for you. How are you going to know if you get all the money that’s coming to you? I’ve been bossing men all my life, nearly, and I know there ain’t one man in ten that’ll do the work the way you’d do it yourself; to say nothing of being honest with money. ’Twon’t work, boys, ’twon’t work! And that reminds me of something that’s been sort of buzzing around in my head of late. You fellows have done pretty well for a couple of months, and I guess you’ve made a little money, probably as much as you hoped you’d make, eh? But now it’s getting where you can’t look after the business yourself and where you’ll be in a lot of trouble one way and another. Why ain’t this a good time to sell out for a tidy figure and stay ahead of the game, eh?”