And with that one clear purpose before him, Mansfield was the sort of fellow to go straight through thick and thin to reach it, or perish in the attempt.
They say that when a certain Russian Emperor wanted a railway made between the two chief cities of his dominion, and was asked what route it should take, so as to benefit the largest number of intervening towns and villages, he called for a map and ruler, and drawing a straight line between the two places, said, "Let it go that way." That was pretty much the style of Mansfield.

He didn't understand turning to right or left to give anybody a lift on the way.

All he knew was that Templeton was not up to the mark, and that Templeton must be brought up to the mark.

Between those points he ruled his straight line, and that way he meant to go.
If the line cut a snug little set of chums in half, if it turned one or two settled school customs out of house and home, if it sent one or two waverers hopelessly over to the wrong side--well, so be it.

It was a pity, especially if the innocent had to suffer with the guilty.