s
favor.

"I have something I'd like to tell you, Mr. Witla," he observed.

"Well, what is it?" smiled Eugene.

"Are you going out to lunch?"

"Certainly, come along."

They went out together and Morgenbau communicated to Eugene what he had
heard--that the Summerfield Company had just dismissed, or parted
company with, or lost, a very capable director by the name of Freeman,
and that they were looking for a new man.

"Why don't you apply for that?" asked Morgenbau. "You could hold it.
You're doing just the sort of work that would make great ads. You know
how to handle men, too. They like you. All the young fellows around here
do. Why don't you go and see Mr. Summerfield? He's up in Thirty-fourth
Street. You might be just the man he's looking for, and then you'd have
a department of your own."

Eugene looked at this boy, wondering what had put this idea in his head.
He decided to call up Dula and did so at once, asking him what he
thought would be the best move to make. The latter did not know
Summerville [sic], but he knew someone who did.

"I'll tell you what you do, Eugene," he said. "You go and see Baker
Bates of the Satina Company. That's at the corner of Broadway and Fourth
Street. We do a big business with the Satina Company, and they do a big
business with Summerfield. I'll send a letter over to you by a boy and
you take that. Then I'll call Bates up on the phone, and if he's
favorable he can speak to Summerfield. He'll want to see you, though."

Eugene was very grateful and eagerly awaited the arrival of the letter.
He asked Benedict for a little time off and went to Mr. Baker Bates. The
latter had heard enough from Dula to be friendly. He had been told by
the latter that Eugene was potentially a great artist, slightly down on
his luck, but that he was doing exceedingly well where he was and would
do better in the new place. He was impressed by Eugene's appearance, for
the latter had changed his style from the semi-artistic to the
practical. He thought Eugene looked capable. He was certainly pleasant.

"I'll talk to Mr. Summerfield for you," he said, "though I wouldn't put
much hope in what will come of it if I were you. He's a difficult man
and it's best not to appear too eager in this matter. If he can be
induced to send for you it will be much better. You let this rest until
tomorrow. I'll call him up on another matter and take him out to lunch,
and then I'll see how he stands and who he has in mi