e gazed at me, open-mouthed. 'What? Put my foot in it again?' he
interposed. 'Not high-toned enough? Eh? Now, I do regret it. No offence
meant, miss, nor none need be taken. What I meant to in-sinuate was
this: you hev won the big race for me. Folks will notice you and talk
about you at Frankfort. Ef you ride a Manitou, that'll make 'em talk the
more. A mutual advantage. Benefits you; benefits me. You get the wheel;
I get the adver_tize_ment.'

I saw that reciprocity was the lodestar of his life. 'Very well, Mr.
Hitchcock,' I said, pocketing my pride, 'I'll accept the machine, and
I'll ride it.'

Then a light dawned upon me. I saw eventualities. 'Look here,' I went
on, innocently--recollect, I was a girl just fresh from Girton--'I am
thinking of going on very soon to Switzerland. Now, why shouldn't I do
this--try to sell your machines, or, rather, take orders for them, from
anybody that admires them? A mutual advantage. Benefits you; benefits
me. You sell your wheels; I get----'

He stared at me. 'The commission?'

'I don't know what commission means,' I answered, somewhat at sea as to
the name; 'but I thought it might be worth your while, till the Manitou
becomes better known, to pay me, say, ten per cent on all orders I
brought you.'

His face was one broad smile. 'I do admire at you, miss,' he cried,
standing still to inspect me. 'You may not know the meaning of the
_word_ commission; but durned ef you haven't got a hang of the _thing_
itself that would do honour to a Wall Street operator, anyway.'

'Then that's business?' I asked, eagerly; for I beheld vistas.

'Business?' he repeated. 'Yes, that's jest about the size of
it--business. Adver_tize_ment, miss, may be the soul of commerce, but
Commission's its body. You go in and win. Ten per cent on every order
you send me!'

He insisted on taking my ticket back to Frankfort. 'My affair, miss; my
affair!' There was no gainsaying him. He was immensely elated. 'The
biggest thing in cycles since Dunlop tyres,' he repeated. 'And
to-morrow, they'll give me advertizements gratis in every newspaper!'

Next morning, he came round to call on me at the Abode of Unclaimed
Domestic Angels. He was explicit and generous. 'Look here, miss,' he
began; 'I didn't do fair by you when you interviewed me about your
agency last evening. I took advantage, _at_ the time, _of_ your youth
and inexperience. You suggested 10 per cent _as_ the amount of your
commission on sales you migh