d that
if he would set down his proposition in writing, and send it in to Mr.
Hardwick, it would have that gentleman's serious consideration. The
fifth man was not so easily disposed of. He insisted upon seeing the
editor, and presently disappeared inside with the clerk. Miss Baxter
smiled at the rapid dispersion of the group, for it reminded her of the
rhyme about the one little, two little, three little nigger-boys. But
all the time there kept running through her mind the phrase, "Board of
Public Construction," and the name, "Hazel."

After a few minutes, the persistent man who had insisted upon seeing the
editor came through the general waiting-room, the secretary, or clerk,
or whoever he was, following him.

"Has your name been sent in, madam?" the young man asked Miss Baxter, as
she rose. "I think not," answered the girl. "Would you take my card to
Mr. Hardwick, and tell him I will detain him but a few moments?"

In a short time the secretary reappeared, and held the door open for
her.

CHAPTER II. JENNIE HAS IMPORTANT CONFERENCES WITH TWO IMPORTANT EDITORS.

Mr. Hardwick was a determined-looking young man of about thirty-five,
with a bullet head and closely-cropped black hair. He looked like a
stubborn, strong-willed person, and Miss Baxter's summing up of him was
that he had not the appearance of one who could be coaxed or driven
into doing anything he did not wish to do. He held her card between his
fingers, and glanced from it to her, then down to the card again.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hardwick," began Miss Baxter. "I don't know that
you have seen any of my work, but I have written a good deal for some of
the evening papers and for several of the magazines."

"Yes," said Hardwick, who was standing up preparatory to leaving his
office, and who had not asked the young woman to sit down; "your name is
familiar to me. You wrote, some months since, an account of a personal
visit to the German Emperor; I forget now where it appeared."

"Oh, yes," said Miss Baxter; "that was written for the _Summer
Magazine_, and was illustrated by photographs."

"It struck me," continued Hardwick, without looking at her, "that it was
an article written by a person who had never seen the German Emperor,
but who had collected and assimilated material from whatever source
presented itself."

The young woman, in nowise abashed, laughed; but still the editor did
not look up.

"Yes," she admitted, "that is precisely how