er. "It does seem
good to be in our own country again," they said a hundred times during
the days that followed, and when they reached the Empire State and began
their journey down the Hudson River, Archie could hardly restrain his
enthusiasm at being again in his native commonwealth.

There was quite a delegation at the Grand Central Station to meet them.
Mr. Jennings was there in person, and he explained that Mr. Van
Bunting was waiting anxiously at the office to see him. Then there were
reporters from the various other city papers, who wanted interviews,
but Archie was told to say whatever he had to say in the columns of the
Enterprise, so he had to deny the reporters for the first time. Bill
Hickson was introduced at once, and became the lion of the hour. Every
one had read of him, and was glad to shake his hand, and poor Bill was
quite bewildered by so much attention. They didn't linger long at the
station, however, but hurried down to the Enterprise office, where Mr.
Van Bunting was awaiting them. He grasped Archie's hand in his as they
entered, and cried, "Well done, my boy, well done." And Archie felt as
if he had grown three feet that instant.

CHAPTER XXIV.

DOING "SPECIAL" WORK UPON THE EVENING PAPER--INTERVIEWS WITH FAMOUS
MEN--CALLS UPON OLD FRIENDS.

THERE was so much to tell Mr. Jennings and Mr. Van Bunting, that Archie
didn't get away from the Enterprise office until seven o'clock in the
evening. And what a lot they did say to each other during the afternoon!
Archie told of all his experiences, and found them all anxious to hear
about them. He learned, to his joy, that everything he had sent had been
printed, and that the articles had made a great hit with the public. "We
would have liked to keep you there longer, but we knew you must be worn
out, and then we want you to stay right here, now, and see if you
cannot get us some good interviews and articles of various kinds for the
Evening Enterprise. The paper has been losing ground somewhat, of late,
and we need some new life for its pages. Of course the morning paper
profited greatly by your articles, but the evening edition seemed very
weak in comparison, and we think it only fair to Mr. Jennings to let
him have you on his staff for awhile now. So if you are willing, you can
start in to-morrow as a member of the staff. We will see that you are
well paid for what you write, or we will put you on salary, whichever
you like. You can think it