erers,
character artists, men with a keen sense of color combination whom he
might possibly hire cheaply. He thought of Jerry Mathews of the old
Chicago _Globe_ days--where was he now?--and Philip Shotmeyer, who would
be almost ideal to work under his direction, for he was a splendid
letterer, and Henry Hare, still of the _World_, with whom he had
frequently talked on the subject of ads and posters. Then there was
young Morgenbau, who was a most excellent character man, looking to him
for some opportunity, and eight or ten men whose work he had admired in
the magazines--the best known ones. He decided first to see what could
be done with the staff that he had, and then to eliminate and fill in as
rapidly as possible until he had a capable working group. He had already
caught by contact with Summerfield some of that eager personage's
ruthlessness and began to manifest it in his own attitude. He was most
impressionable to things advantageous to himself, and this chance to
rise to a higher level out of the slough of poverty in which he had so
greatly suffered nerved him to the utmost effort. In two days he had a
most impressive mass of material to show his prospective employer, and
he returned to his presence with considerable confidence. The latter
looked over his ideas carefully and then began to warm to his attitude
of mind.

"I should say!" he said generously, "there's some life to this stuff. I
can see you getting the five thousand a year all right if you keep on.
You're a little new, but you've caught the drift." And he sat down to
show him where some improvements from a practical point of view could be
made.

"Now, professor," he said finally when he was satisfied that Eugene was
the man he wanted, "you and I might as well call this a deal. It's
pretty plain to me that you've got something that I want. Some of these
things are fine. I don't know how you're going to make out as a master
of men, but you might as well take that desk out there and we'll begin
right now. I wish you luck. I really do. You're a live wire, I think."

Eugene thrilled with satisfaction. This was the result he wanted. No
half-hearted commendation, but enthusiastic praise. He must have it. He
always felt that he could command it. People naturally ran after him. He
was getting used to it by now--taking it as a matter of course. If he
hadn't broken down, curse the luck, think where he could have been
today. He had lost five years and he was no