"Work! Jack--you're not in earnest ?" He held upon her a clear-eyed, humorous, but resolute face.
"Don't I look in earnest ?" He did; and his mother could only dazedly repeat, "Work! You go to work!" "Oh, not at once.

No, thank you! I want to ask you to give me a little proper education first that will equip me to do something.

You've spent--how much have you spent on my education, mother?
Tens and tens of thousands, I know.

Pretty big investment, on the whole.

Now, how large returns do you suppose I can draw on that investment ?" "I was not thinking about dividends; I was thinking about fitting you for your station," returned his mother stiffly.
"Well, as for me, I've been thinking of late about how much I could get out of that investment.