As it swung open under Richard’s hand, the young man’s first glance was for the general effect.  He himself was looking at everything as if for the first time, intensely alive to the impression it was to make upon his judge.  He found that the general effect was considerably obscured by the number of people at the counters and in the aisles, more, it seemed to him, than he had ever seen there before.  His second observation was that the class of shoppers seemed particularly good, and he tried to recall the special feature of Carson’s advertisement of the evening before.  There were several different lines, he remembered, to which Carson had called special attention, with the assertion that the values were absolute and the quality guaranteed.

But his attention was very quickly diverted from any study of the store itself to the even more interesting and instructive study of the old man who accompanied him.  He had invited an expert to look the situation over, there could be no possible doubt of that.  And the expert was looking it over—­there could be no doubt of that, either.  As they passed down one aisle and up another, Richard could see how the eagle eyes noted one point after another, yet without any disturbing effect of searching scrutiny.  Here and there Mr. Kendrick’s gaze lingered a trifle longer, and more than once he came close to a counter and brought an eyeglass to bear on the goods there displayed, nodding pleasantly at the salespeople as he did so.  And everywhere he went glances followed him.

It seemed to Richard that he had never realized before what a distinguished looking old man his grandfather was.  He was not of more than average height; he was dressed, though scrupulously, as unobtrusively as is any quiet gentleman of his years and position; but none the less was there something about him which spoke of the man of affairs, of the leader, the organizer, the general.

Alfred Carson came hurrying out of the little office as the two Kendricks came in sight.  Matthew Kendrick greeted him with distinct evidence of pleasure.

“Ah, Mr. Carson,” he said, “I am very glad to see you again.  I have missed you from your department.  How do you find the new business?  More interesting than the old, eh?”

“It is always interesting, sir,” responded Carson, “to enlarge one’s field of operations.”

Mr. Kendrick laughed heartily at this, turning to Richard as he did so.  “That’s a great compliment to you, Dick,” he said, “that Mr. Carson feels he has enlarged his field by coming up here to you, and leaving me.”

“Don’t you think it’s true, grandfather?” challenged Richard boldly.

“To be sure it’s true,” agreed Mr. Kendrick.  “But it sometimes takes a wise man to see that a swing from the centre of things to the rim is the way to swing back to the centre finally.  Well, I’ve looked about quite a bit,—­what next, Dick?”

“Won’t you come into the office, sir, and ask us any questions that you like?  We want your criticism and your suggestions,” declared Richard.  “Where’s Mr. Benson, Mr. Carson?  I’d like him to meet my grandfather right away.  I thought we’d find him somewhere about the place before now.”