ed
the faith of his friends, who carelessly supposed the prize to have been
much bigger than it was and a brilliant career thus to have been safely
launched. Oddly enough, however, it never occurred to them to lend a
hand at the launching. They took its success for granted and saved their
help and their business for young men, such as the energetic but
otherwise untalented Dick Holden, of whom less was expected. It is so
hard to make friends understand that even a brilliant career needs
support at first.

It was not wholly their fault; a very creditable pride kept David from
hinting that he was in need of help, which indeed became the fact. The
little patrimony had dwindled to a cipher. Clients were few and
commissions small. But David, less from design than from habit and
taste, maintained the front of prosperity. He had the trick of wearing
clothes well, lived in nice rooms, played golf at the country club and
was always his jolly, cheerful self.

His good cheer was not a pretense, for he was never made to feel a pinch.
This was a misfortune and the blame must be laid to his own engaging
qualities. He found that he could borrow as easily as, when in funds, he
had lent. Even Jim Blaisdell who, in his cashier's office, was held a
skinflint and a keen judge of men, was cordiality itself when David went
to him with a note for discount.

"Gladly," he said. "But you'll have to have an indorser, you know."

"I didn't know," laughed David. "You see, I never tried this before. Am
I an innocent?"

"It'll be all right, though," Blaisdell answered. "I'll indorse for you."

Something made David hesitate. "It's fair to say I mightn't be able to
meet it promptly."

"Then we'll carry you. Your face is collateral enough for me. Beat it
now--I'm busy. And come out for dinner to-night, Davy."

Sometimes David would feel a qualm of discomfort as he found himself
gradually getting behind and sometimes he would wonder, a little
sensitively, at the slowness of recognition. But such moments were
brief. Unconsciously he had imbibed his friends' vague confidence in his
future. Some day he would win a big commission which, brilliantly
executed, would make him forever secure. In the meantime, because he was
an honest workman, he gave to his few clients the best he had, a really
fine best, worthy of wider notice. And because he grew daily more in
love with his art and proposed to be found ready when his great chance