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."