etter I had written that morning in answer to the newspaper
advertisement.

I immediately assumed what I thought to be the correct, meek expression
of a man looking for work; with, I hope, becoming timidity and
nervousness, I whispered my name to the young lady. Then I took a seat
alongside one of my fellow applicants, who eyed me askance and with
what I took to be amused tolerance.

Five minutes, and the young lady ushered out the man who had been on
the point of being interviewed as I had come in.

"Mr. Monaghan?" queried the lady.

Mr. Monaghan rose and followed her.

An interval of ten minutes, and Mr. Monaghan went after his predecessor.

"Mr. Rubenstein?" asked the lady.

Mr. Rubenstein, who, every inch of him, looked the part, went through
the routine of Mr. Monaghan, leaving me alone in the waiting room.

At last my turn came and I was ushered into the "sanctum." I had put
my head only inside the door, when the bluff voice I had learned that
day to know shouted merrily:

"Hello! George. What do you know? Come on in and sit down."

And there was Mr. Horsfal, as large as life, sitting behind a desk with
a pile of letters in front of him.

I was keenly disappointed and I fear I showed it. Only this,--after
all my rising hopes,--the genial Mr. Horsfal wished to chat with me now
that he had got his business worries over.

"Why!--what's the matter, son? You look crestfallen."

"I am, too," I answered. "I was not aware which rooms you occupied
and, when I received the telephone message to come here and saw those
men waiting, I felt sure I had received an answer to my application for
a position I saw in the papers this morning."

Mr. Horsfal leaned back in his chair and surveyed me.

"Well,--no need to get crestfallen, George. When you had that thought,
your thinking apparatus was in perfect working order."

My eyes showed surprise. "You don't mean----"

"Yes! George."

"What?--'wanted,--alert, strong, handy man, to supervise up-coast
property. One who can run country store preferred. Must be sober,'" I
quoted.

"The very same. I've been interviewing men for a week now and I'm sick
of it. I got your letter this evening. But all day I have had it in
my mind that you were the very man I wanted, sent from the clouds right
to me."

"But,--but," I exclaimed. "I am afraid I have not the experience a man
requires for such a job."

K. B. Horsfal thumped his desk.

"Lord sakes! man,-