"I got something very personal and very important I'd like to speak to you about," he says to Alex. "I'll go out on the fire escape," I says. "No!" he says. "I want you to stay and hear this too." He turns to Alex again. "I been thinking over what you said in the theatre to-night," he begins, "and I guess you're pretty near right about me. However, I have a big chance now to make good and get out of the twenty-five dollar class, only, as usual, luck is against me." "They is no such thing as luck," says Alex. "Forget about that luck thing, put the letter 'P' before the word and you got it! That's the first rule in my booklet, 'Success While You Wait.' I must send you one." "Thanks," says the lovely Wilkinson. "You see, I'm a salesman for a big wholesale clothing house downtown and right at the beginning of the war I went up to Plattsburg to try for a commission in the army. I was rejected on account of a bad eye. While I was up there, I met Colonel Williams, who is now practically in charge of the buying of equipment for the army. I've been trying for months to land the overcoat contract for my house and last week I finally got things lined up. I have got to have one thousand of our storm-proof army coats in Washington by five o'clock to-morrow afternoon. At that time, Colonel Williams will see me at the War Department and I can give him prices on various lots and so forth." "Why do you have to bring that many coats down?" asks Alex. "Wouldn't a couple be enough for a sample?" "No," says Wilkinson. "These coats are to be given to men in a cantonment near Washington, where they will get actual wear under varying conditions. If I'm not in Washington with them at five to-morrow, I'll lose my chance because, the following day, men from four rival houses have appointments with the Colonel." "Well," I butts in, "what's stoppin' you from goin' to Washington?" "Nothing is stopping _me_," he says, "but I can't get the coats down there with me in time! The two shipments that we have sent by freight have gone astray somewhere and, as government supplies have the right of way over all other shipments, the express companies will not guarantee a delivery at any set time." "But them coats are government supplies, ain't they?" says Alex. "Not yet!" says the lovely Wilkinson. "Not until they are accepted. Right now they are nothing but samples of clothing. I've gone into that part thoroughly." Alex gets up and walks around the room a coupla times, throwin' up a smoke screen from his cigar. Then he stops and looks at his watch. "It's now almost eleven o'clock," he says. "Where are them coats?" The lovely Wilkinson looks puzzled. "Why," he says. "Why--they're in our stock room at 245 Broadway." "Can we get in there to-night?" asks Alex, reachin' for his hat. "I have a key," says Wilkinson, "but I'm afraid I don't quite get the idea. I--"