, and to him at times it was confusing. He had a
great deal to learn. Still he did have helpful ideas in a score of
directions daily and these told. The magazines were improved. The first
issues which were affected by his judgment and those of his men were
inspected closely by Colfax and White. The latter was particularly
anxious to see what improvement had been made, and while he could not
judge well himself, he had the means of getting opinions. Nearly all
these were favorable, much to his disappointment, for he hoped to find
things to criticize.

Colfax, who had been watching Eugene's determined air, the energy with
which he went about his work and the manner in which he freely accepted
responsibility, came to admire him even more than he had before. He
liked him socially--his companionship after business hours--and began to
invite him up to the house to dinner. Unlike Kalvin, on most of these
occasions he did not take Angela into consideration, for having met her
he was not so very much impressed with her. She was nice, but not of the
same coruscating quality as her husband. Mrs. Colfax expressed a
derogatory opinion, and this also made it difficult. He sincerely wished
that Eugene were single.

Time passed. As Eugene worked more and more with the various
propositions which this situation involved, he became more and more at
his ease. Those who have ever held an executive position of any
importance know how easy it is, given a certain degree of talent, to
attract men and women of ability and force according to that talent.
Like seeks like and those who are looking for advancement in their world
according to their talents naturally drift to those who are more highly
placed and who are much like themselves. Advertising men, artists,
circulation men, editors, book critics, authors and all those who were
sufficiently in his vein to understand or appreciate him sought him out,
and by degrees he was compelled to learn to refer all applicants to the
heads of departments. He was compelled to learn to rely to a certain
degree on his men, and having learned this he was inclined to go to the
other extreme and rely too much. In the case of Carter Hayes, in the
advertising department, he was particularly impressed with the man's
efficiency, and rested on him heavily for all the details of that work,
merely inspecting his programs of procedure and advising him in
difficult situations. The latter appreciated this, for he was egot