“How far are you going?”

“To Chicago.”

“Can you attend to some business for me there?”

“Yes, if it won’t take too long a time.”

“Good!  Come round to my house to supper at six o’clock, and I will tell you about it.  Henry, write my address on a piece of paper, and give it to this young man.”

Henry Norris smiled, and did as his aunt requested.

“You have considerable confidence in this young man?” he said.

“I have.”

“You may be mistaken.”

“Rachel Norris is not often mistaken.”

“I will accept your invitation with pleasure, Miss Norris,” said Carl, bowing politely.  “Now, as I have some business to attend to, I will bid you both good-morning.”

As Carl went out, Miss Norris said:  “Henry, that is a remarkable boy.”

“I think favorably of him myself.  He is in the employ of an old schoolmate of mine, Henry Jennings, of Milford.  By the way, what business are you going to put into his hands?”

“A young man who has a shoe store on State Street has asked me for a loan of two thousand dollars to extend his business.  His name is John French, and his mother was an old schoolmate of mine, though some years younger.  Now I know nothing of him.  If he is a sober, steady, industrious young man, I may comply with his request.  This boy will investigate and report to me.”

“And you will be guided by his report?”

“Probably.”

“Aunt Rachel, you are certainly very eccentric.”

“I may be, but I am not often deceived.”

“Well, I hope you won’t be this time.  The boy seems to me a very good boy, but you can’t put an old head on young shoulders.”

“Some boys have more sense than men twice their age.”

“You don’t mean me, I hope, Aunt Rachel,” said Mr. Norris, smiling.

“Indeed, I don’t.  I shall not flatter you by speaking of you as only twice this boy’s age.”

“I see, Aunt Rachel, there is no getting the better of you.”

Meanwhile Carl was making business calls.  He obtained a map of the city, and located the different firms on which he proposed to call.  He had been furnished with a list by Mr. Jennings.  He was everywhere pleasantly received—­in some places with an expression of surprise at his youth—­but when he began to talk he proved to be so well informed upon the subject of his call that any prejudice excited by his age quickly vanished.  He had the satisfaction of securing several unexpectedly large orders for the chair, and transmitting them to Mr. Jennings by the afternoon mail.

He got through his business at four o’clock, and rested for an hour or more at his hotel.  Then he arranged his toilet, and set out for the residence of Miss Rachel Norris.

It was rather a prim-looking, three-story house, such as might be supposed to belong to a maiden lady.  He was ushered into a sitting-room on the second floor, where Miss Norris soon joined him.