he had read; and he turned and looked around with slow professorial
amusement kindling in his eyes.
"Ah!" said he. "Possibly you are Colonel Cowles, the military political
economist?"
West was more amused than ever. "No," said he, "on the contrary, West is
the name, C.G. West--to correspond, you know, with the one on that card
you have in your hand. I'll sit down here on the bed--shall I?--so that
we can talk more comfortably. Sitting does help the flow of ideas so
remarkably, don't you find? I am trespassing on your time," said he, "at
the suggestion of--an acquaintance of yours, who has been telling me
great things about your work."
Queed looked completely puzzled.
"The _Post_, Mr. Queed," went on West agreeably, "is always looking for
men who can do exceptional work. Therefore, I have come to consider with
you whether we might not make an arrangement to our mutual advantage."
At that the whole thing came back to the young man. He had agreed to
take light remunerative work to pay his board, and now the day of
reckoning was at hand. His heart grew heavy within him.
"Well," said he, exactly as he had said to the agent, "what have you to
propose?"
"I thought of proposing, first, that you give me some idea of what you
have done and can do on lines useful for a daily newspaper. How does
that method of procedure strike you?"
Queed produced his celebrated envelope of clippings. Also he hunted up
one or two stray cuttings which proved to be editorials he had written
on assignment, for a New York newspaper. West ran through them with
intelligent quickness.
"I say! These are rather fine, you know. This article on the income tax
now--just right!--just the sort of thing!"
Queed sat with his hand clamped on his head, which was aching rather
badly, as indeed it did about three fourths of the time.
"Oh, yes," he said wearily.
"I take off my hat to you!" added West presently. "You're rather out of
my depth here, but at least I know enough political economy to know what
is good."
He looked at Queed, smiling, very good-humored and gay, and Queed looked
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