"I like to look at them," was his only explanation, as he saw Edward's inquiring glance one morning.
The third check was treated the same way.

When they handed him the fourth, one morning, as he was pinning it up over the others, he asked: "When do you get your money from the newspapers ?" He was told that the bills were going out that morning for the four letters constituting a month's service.
"I see," he remarked.
A fortnight passed, then one day Mr.Beecher asked: "Well, how are the checks coming in ?" "Very well," he was assured.
"Suppose you let me see how much you've got in," he suggested, and the boys brought the accounts to him.
After looking at them he said: "That's very interesting.

How much have you in the bank ?" He was told the balance, less the checks given to him.

"But I haven't turned them in yet," he explained.

"Anyhow, you have enough in bank to meet the checks you have given me, and a profit besides, haven't you ?" He was assured they had.
Then, taking his bank-book from a drawer; he unpinned the six checks on his desk, indorsed each, wrote a deposit slip, and, handing the book to Edward, said: "Just hand that in at the bank as you go by, will you ?" Edward was very young then, and Mr.Beecher's methods of financiering seemed to him quite in line with current notions of the Plymouth pastor's lack of business knowledge.