But as time passed and in spite of the change of attitude which was
coming over Summerfield, Eugene became even stronger in his own
self-esteem. He was not getting vainglorious as yet--merely sure.
Because of his art work his art connections had revived considerably,
and he had heard again from such men as Louis Deesa, M. Charles, Luke
Severas, and others who now knew where he was and wondered why he did
not come back to painting proper. M. Charles was disgusted. "A great
error," he said. He always spoke of him to others as a great loss to
art. Strange to relate, one of his pictures was sold the spring
following his entry into the Summerfield Company, and another the
following winter. Each netted him two hundred and fifty dollars, Pottle
Freres being the agents in one case, Jacob Bergman in the other. These
sales with their consequent calls for additional canvases to show,
cheered him greatly. He felt satisfied now that if anything happened to
him he could go back to his art and that he could make a living, anyhow.

There came a time when he was sent for by Mr. Alfred Cookman, the
advertising agent for whom Summerfield had worked; but nothing came of
that, for the latter did not care to pay more than six thousand a year
and Summerfield had once told Eugene that he would eventually pay him
ten thousand if he stayed with him. He did not think it was fair to
leave him just then, and, besides, Cookman's firm had not the force and
go and prestige which Summerfield had at this time. His real chance came
some six months later, when one of the publishing houses of Philadelphia
having an important weekly to market, began looking for an advertising
manager.

It was the policy of this house to select young men and to select from
among all the available candidates just the one particular one to suit
the fancy of the owner and who had a record of successful effort behind
him. Now Eugene was not any more an advertising manager by experience
than he was an art director, but having worked for Summerfield for
nearly two years he had come to know a great deal about advertising, and
the public thought he knew a great deal more. He knew by now just how
Summerfield had his business organized. He knew how he specialized his
forces, giving this line to one and that line to another. He had been
able to learn by sitting in conferences and consultations what it was
that advertisers wanted, how they wanted their goods displayed, what
they wanted