'a fool can ask more
questions than a wise man can answer.'"

"Hey, there, speak for yourself!" exclaimed Joe. "You may be a fool, but
don't class me under that heading."

"I was only speaking figuratively, as the profs say," laughed Bob. "I
don't want you to take me too literally, of course."

"All I've got to say is, that you're both pretty well up on radio," said
Mr. Reed. "Are you a shark too, Larry?"

"Not I," answered Larry. "I've been trying to learn something about it
since I met Bob and Joe here, but I can't say that I've made much
progress. Besides, you can't do much learning in a hospital," he added,
with a rueful laugh.

"It isn't what you would call an ideal place," admitted Mr. Reed. "But now
that you're working here, you ought to pick it up pretty soon."

"I'm going to make a real try at it now," promised Larry. "It's a shame to
be so ignorant about the business that's giving you a living."

"Yes, but I don't see where our knowledge of radio is bringing us much
cash," said Joe.

"How about that hundred and fifty dollars we won between us in prizes?"
Bob reminded him. "That was quite a little cash, wasn't it?"

"That's a long time ago, though," returned Joe. "I wish I knew some way to
pick up a little extra change now. Christmas is not very far off, and
heaven knows how I'm going to buy anybody any present."

"Can you do anything in the way of a song or a recitation?" asked Mr.
Reed. "I know Mr. Allard needs one or two short bits to fill out the
programme to-night, but I don't suppose you could do anything of that
sort, could you?"

"I'm afraid not," replied Joe. "I know two or three recitations that I
learned for the elocution class, but I'm afraid that's about the full
extent of my entertaining power. If I tried to sing, folks would think
that some accident had happened to their apparatus."

"A good recitation or two might be just what the boss is looking for,"
returned Mr. Reed. "It Couldn't do any harm to ask him about it, anyway.
What is your specialty, Layton?"

"There's no such thing," laughed Bob. "As an entertainer, I'd be a
terrible frost."

"I'm not so sure of that," said the other. "Suppose we look up Mr. Allard,
anyway, and see what he has to say."

"I'll try anything once," said Bob. "I suppose it can't do any harm to
try, anyway."

"If you can get away with it, why not pick up a few dollars?" asked Larry.
"It isn't like facing a big audience, you know. The audience is th