ndled his card gingerly.

Eugene was for the moment undetermined what to do but decided that maybe
the secretary could help him. He asked that his card might be taken to
him and that no explanation be demanded of him except by the secretary
in person. The latter came out after a while, an under secretary of
perhaps twenty-eight years of age, short and stout. He was bland and
apparently good natured.

"What is it I can do for you?" he asked.

Eugene had been formulating his request in his mind--some method of
putting it briefly and simply.

"I came up to see Mr. Wilson," he said, "to see if he would not send me
out as a day-laborer of some kind in connection with some department of
the road. I am an artist by profession and I am suffering from
neurasthenia. All the doctors I have consulted have recommended that I
get a simple, manual position of some kind and work at it until I am
well. I know of an instance in which Mr. Wilson, assisted, in this way,
Mr. Savin the author, and I thought he might be willing to interest
himself in my case."

At the sound of Henry Savin's name the under-secretary pricked up his
ears. He had, fortunately, read one of his books, and this together with
Eugene's knowledge of the case, his personal appearance, a certain ring
of sincerity in what he was saying, caused him to be momentarily
interested.

"There is no position in connection with any clerical work which the
president could give you, I am sure," he replied. "All of these things
are subject to a system of promotion. It might be that he could place
you with one of the construction gangs in one of the departments under a
foreman. I don't know. It's very hard work, though. He might consider
your case." He smiled commiseratingly. "I question whether you're strong
enough to do anything of that sort. It takes a pretty good man to wield
a pick or a shovel."

"I don't think I had better worry about that now," replied Eugene in
return, smiling wearily. "I'll take the work and see if it won't help
me. I think I need it badly enough."

He was afraid the under-secretary would repent of his suggestion and
refuse him entirely.

"Can you wait a little while?" asked the latter curiously. He had the
idea that Eugene was someone of importance, for he had suggested as a
parting argument that he could give a number of exceptional references.

"Certainly," said Eugene, and the secretary went his way, coming back in
half an hour to hand him an