School of Technology to ask if he would give him the name of the
ablest man in the graduating class--a man to be relied on for
character as much as brains, he specified, for the rough army of
miners needed a general at their head almost more than a scientist.
Was there such a combination to be found, he asked, in a youngster
of twenty-three or twenty-four, such as would be graduating from
the "Tech"? If possible, he wanted a very young man--he wanted the
enthusiasm, he wanted the athletic tendency, he wanted the
plus-strength, he wanted the unmade reputation which would look
for its making to hard work in the mine. The letter was produced
and read to the shamefaced Johnny. "Gosh!" he remarked at intervals
and remarked practically nothing else. There was no need. They were
so proud and so glad that it was almost too much for the boy who
had been a failure three years ago.

On the urgent insistence of every one he made a speech. He got
to his six-feet-two slowly, and his hands went into his trousers
pockets as usual. "Holy mackerel," he began--"I don't call it
decent to knock the wind out of a man and then hold him up for
remarks. They all said in college that I talked the darnedest
hash in the class, anyway. But you will have it, will you? I
haven't got anything to say, so's you'd notice it, except that
I'll be blamed if I see how this is true. Of course I'm keen
for it--Keen! I should say I was! And what makes me keenest,
I believe, is that I know it's satisfactory to Henry McLean."
He turned his bright face to his father. "Any little plugging
I've done seems like thirty cents compared to that. You're all
peaches to take such an interest, and I thank you a lot. Me,
the superintendent of the Oriel mine! Holy mackerel!" gasped
Johnny, and sat down.