In the next ensuing moment or so, what swift changes now were wrought in the late despair of our friend and hero, Mr. John Rawn, master of the International Power Company, already in imagination controlling in good part the destinies of a people--the great John Rawn, philanthropist, kindly employer, wise friend of the less favored ones of earth; the beneficent, kindly, omnipotent John Rawn? Why had he despaired, why had he ever doubted, why had he ever set himself even momentarily apart from that original destiny which always he had accorded to him-self? Was he not a leader--had he not been devised to be so in the plans of the immortal gods, ages ago? Was he not one of the few select ones assigned to rule his fellow-men? John Rawn stood before the old, gray woman, and scarcely heard her last words. He sighed deeply. His self-respect was coming back to him in waves, great, recurrent waves. At last a smile crossed his face. The imperious glance of the born ruler, of one better than his fellow-men, the look of the man set apart and licensed to rob and rule--returned once more to his eye. VII "_It's a million dollars!_" he cried aloud, exultantly, once more. "It's God has sent it to me! I'll take it as a sign. Watch me in the morning! I'll make them hunt their holes yet. By God! I will!" "John, John, you mustn't swear, it isn't right! John!" "I beg your pardon--er--er--Laura," he rejoined, with fine condescension, every instant now becoming more himself. "In fact, I want to thank you--it's clever of you, I must say. It isn't every woman who'd have done what you have done, I'm sure." "Why wouldn't they, John? It isn't money a woman wants to make her happy. I've tried that. Grace tried it. It doesn't work. It takes something else besides money, I reckon. We're lucky when we find that, any of us, I reckon. If we don't, we've got to take just what God gives us. But money doesn't buy everything in the world. John, sometimes I think it buys about as little as anything you can think of!" She gulped just a little in her thin throat. "All the same," said he firmly and generously, by this time almost fully the great John Rawn once more, "it was very decent of you, Laura." "Well, never mind about that, John. It was you who made it. I never did understand how you earned it so fast. I'm glad if it will do you any good--if you're sure it will do you any good. And see, John," she added shyly, fumbling again in her bag, "I brought you a little present, John. I've been doing these, you see. I make quite a lot out of it. I never used any of that money you gave me, at all--I did these things--the way I did before, when we were getting our start together, John, you know. I thought--maybe--you'd like a pair." VIII