y
on the Judge's stateroom door and to explain, "Baltimore. I'm leaving
you now. Pleasant journey!"

But presumably from the Judge's remarks, this little parting courtesy
was not appreciated, although it afforded the cheerful Jimmy some
amusement as he made his way out of the station. Indeed, considering
that inhospitable hour of the morning, he was made fairly happy by what
the Judge said. Furthermore, to palliate the dreariness of the winter
morning, was the thought that now he could break the news of his
discharge to his mother because he could couple it with a hopeful
prospect.

For two whole days, and considerable portions of the nights, Jimmy
plunged headlong into his proposed organization of a sales and publicity
department for the Sayers Company, and his lively imagination stimulated
itself as his enthusiasm grew. Expert salesman that he was, and
untrammeled by traditions of the motor car trade, his originality found
full vent, and, all unaware of it, he proposed plans that would have
been seized upon by any progressive and daring firm in the automobile
industry. In fact "he builded better than he knew"; but, after his
manuscript had been duly typed and mailed, he suffered anxious hours
thinking of how this or that part of his scheme might have been
improved, and went through all that mental agony with which every
composer reviews his completed work when too late for alteration. At the
end of the second day's wait he became fearful, and at the end of the
third day was beginning to lose hope. On the fourth day he said,
somberly, "Well, Maw, I reckon it was a flivver! I've got to get back to
New York to-morrow and look for a job in my own line."

His optimism was being sorely tried; but his courage was still
unweakened. It was while he was packing his suit case on the following
morning that a telegram came.

"Meet me at Engineers' Club at noon to-morrow, Martin."

Even the message offered small consolation or encouragement; but it was
his way to hope for the best, so he whistled bravely as he left his
home. He put in all his spare time, after arrival in New York, in
visiting automobile agencies and studying as far as possible their
selling methods, and he absorbed information as a dry sponge thrown into
a whirlpool absorbs water. He made notes in his memorandum book after
each visit and soliloquized, "If nothing comes of the Sayers thing, I'll
have learned a whole lot more than I ever knew about this ca