at the most inconvenient
times. He demanded the utmost loyalty of those who worked under him. If
a man did not know enough instinctively to work intelligently for his
interests, while at the same time appearing to serve the interests of
the house at large only, he was soon dismissed on one pretext or
another. Intelligent department heads, not sure of their own strength
and seeing which way the wind was blowing, soon lined up in his course.
Those whom he liked and who did his will prospered. Those whom he
disliked suffered greatly in their duties, and were forever explaining
or complaining to Colfax, who was not aware of White's subtlety and who
therefore thought them incompetent.

Colfax, when he first heard of Eugene, was still cherishing his dream of
a literary and artistic primate who should rank in power with White. He
had not found him as yet, for all the men he sincerely admired and
thought fitted for the position were in business for themselves. He had
sounded one man after another, but to no satisfactory end. Then it
became necessary to fill the position of advertising manager with
someone who would make a conspicuous success of it, and he began to
sound various authorities. Naturally he looked at the different
advertising men working for various publications, and quickly came to
the name of Eugene Witla. The latter was rumored to be making a shining
success of his work. He was well liked where he was. Two different
business men told Colfax that they had met him and that he was
exceptionally clever. A third told him of his record with Summerfield,
and through a fourth man who knew Eugene, and who was having him to
lunch at the Hardware Club a few weeks later, Colfax had a chance to
meet him without appearing to be interested in him in any way.

Not knowing who Colfax was, or rather very little, other than that he
was president of this great rival publishing concern, Eugene was
perfectly free and easy in his manner. He was never affected at any
time, decidedly eager to learn things from anybody and supremely good
natured.

"So you're Swinton, Scudder and Davis, are you?" he said to Colfax on
introduction. "That trinity must have shrunk some to get condensed into
you, but I suppose the power is all there."

"I don't know about that! I don't know about that!" exclaimed Colfax
electrically. He was always ready like a greyhound to run another a
race. "They tell me Swinton and Scudder were exceptionally big men.