aterial, and I'm too new to it all yet. I don't want to do merely
superficial sketches."

"Of course! Of course! I understand that. Well, I don't want to hurry
you. Seen that old fellow of yours yet? I think we ought to have that
translation in the first number; don't you? We want to give 'em a notion
of what we're going to do in that line."

"Yes," said March; "and I was going out to look up Lindau this morning.
I've inquired at Maroni's, and he hasn't been there for several days.
I've some idea perhaps he's sick. But they gave me his address, and I'm
going to see."

"Well, that's right. We want the first number to be the keynote in every
way."

March shook his head. "You can't make it so. The first number is bound
to be a failure always, as far as the representative character goes.
It's invariably the case. Look at the first numbers of all the things
you've seen started. They're experimental, almost amateurish, and
necessarily so, not only because the men that are making them up are
comparatively inexperienced like ourselves, but because the material
sent them to deal with is more or less consciously tentative. People
send their adventurous things to a new periodical because the whole
thing is an adventure. I've noticed that quality in all the volunteer
contributions; it's in the articles that have been done to order even.
No; I've about made up my mind that if we can get one good striking
paper into the first number that will take people's minds off the
others, we shall be doing all we can possible hope for. I should like,"
March added, less seriously, "to make up three numbers ahead, and
publish the third one first."

Fulkerson dropped forward and struck his fist on the desk. "It's a
first-rate idea. Why not do it?"

March laughed. "Fulkerson, I don't believe there's any quackish thing
you wouldn't do in this cause. From time to time I'm thoroughly ashamed
of being connected with such a charlatan."

Fulkerson struck his hat sharply backward. "Ah, dad burn it! To give
that thing the right kind of start I'd walk up and down Broadway between
two boards, with the title-page of Every Other Week facsimiled on one
and my name and address on the--"

He jumped to his feet and shouted, "March, I'll do it!"

"What?"

"I'll hire a lot of fellows to make mud-turtles of themselves, and I'll
have a lot of big facsimiles of the title-page, and I'll paint the town
red!"

March looked aghast at him. "Oh, come, now, Ful