hester's hand vigorously. "It does my heart good to see you. I was
intending to call at your office to-morrow."

"You wouldn't have found me, Mr. Perkins."

"How is that?"

"I have been discharged."

"By that rascal, Mullins? It's a shame. I must see if I can't find you
another position."

"Thank you, but it is not necessary. I have a place already."

"Good! Is it in the real estate business?"

"No, I am engaged on _The Phoenix_, a new weekly humorous paper, as one
of the regular staff of artists."

"Whew! That is good. Do you get fair pay?"

"Twenty-five dollars a week."

"You don't say so. That is surprising. How much did you get at the
other place?"

"Five."

"Then this is five times as good. You ought to give Mr. Mullins a vote
of thanks for bouncing you."

"I don't think he meant to benefit me," said Chester, smiling.

"Do you have to work hard? What are your hours?"

"I have none. I work at home and select my own hours."

"Are you through work for the day?"

"Yes."

"Then you must stay and dine with me. It is four o'clock. We can chat
for an hour, and then go to dinner."

"Thank you. I will accept with pleasure. Did you have a pleasant
journey?"

"Yes; but I should have enjoyed it better if you had been with me. I
called at the White House and shook hands with the President."

"Did you tell him you wanted an office?"

"No office for me. I would rather have my own business and be my own
master. Washington's a fine city, but give me Minneapolis."

"I may call on you in Minneapolis sometime, Mr. Perkins."

"I hope you will. You'll find it worth visiting. It's a right smart
place, if I do say it."

"I have seen a professor from a university in Oregon, and he has given
me good news of my lots in Tacoma. I have five, as I think I told you.
He offered me five hundred dollars apiece cash down."

"Don't you take it! They're going a good deal higher, now that the
railroad is nearly completed."

"So he told me."

"I congratulate you on your good luck, Chester. I am sure you deserve
it. But you haven't told me why you were 'bounced.'"

"Mr. Mullins said I wasted time in going his errands. It wasn't true,
but it was only an excuse to get rid of me. He took his cousin Felix in
my place."

The two friends went to dinner about six o'clock. At seven they came
downstairs and sat in the lobby on a sofa near the door.

Through the portal there was a constant ingress and egress of men--a
motl