of them. We'll capture the whole country. Frisby had a quarter of a
million circulation in six months. We'll have half a million circulation
in three months. Mark my words--half a million in three months!"

"But the price, Barry! A dollar a year and a premium." Perner was still
unsatisfied. "How are we going to do it?"

Barrifield regarded him in a superior way.

"The paper itself," he said, "will cost us less than fifty cents a year,
even figuring on a basis of only a quarter of a million circulation.
Most of the premiums can now be bought for less than the other fifty.
Those that can't we'll give just the same, only we'll add on the
difference in the form of postage and packing. Nobody ever thinks of
objecting to a slight additional charge for postage and packing."

He drew forth a paper on which there were figures. A round of chartreuse
was being served, and in its yellow radiance all difficulties dissolved
and all things became possible. He laid the sheet down where every one
could see it more or less distinctly.

"The white paper," he continued, "will cost less than four cents a
pound--less than one half-cent for each copy. The paper is always the
big expense. Every publisher will tell you that. The paper for quarter
of a million copies will cost twelve hundred and fifty dollars, the
presswork about five hundred dollars. Everything else will cost less
than another five hundred, so that a hundred and twenty-five thousand
dollars a year will more than cover the cost of getting out the paper;
but say it costs that,--we want to figure full, you know,--and then
another hundred and twenty-five for premiums, or quarter of a million in
all, which will be covered by actual subscription money, to say nothing
of advertising returns, which ought to at least, counting three pages a
week, be not less than one hundred and fifty thousand the first year,
and that will be clear profit to be divided. I've figured it down to
that to be on the safe side. With half a million circulation, of
course, it would be twice as much and no extra cost except for
presswork and white paper. I tell you, boys, it's the greatest scheme
ever conceived."

He ran the items over glibly and pushed the paper across the table for
each to examine in turn. The figures were beautifully made, and seemed
to add correctly. If there were a few minor items, such as postage,
clerk hire, and cost of circulation, omitted, it was probably because
they were too in