"Mr. McDevitt. I'll return in about an hour from now, if I may. Thank you." And he bowed himself out. Hendrik Rutgers had spoken as a man speaks who has a train to catch that he mustn't miss. That will command respect where an appeal in the name of the Deity will insure a swift kick. Republics! In an hour he was back, knowing that the Mayor had gone. He sent in for Mr. McDevitt. The secretary appeared. "Did he say he'd come?" asked H. Rutgers, impetuously. "I am sorry to say the Mayor has a previous engagement that makes it absolutely impossible for him to be present at your dinner. I've got a letter of regret." "They'll be awfully disappointed, too. I'll get the blame, of course. _Of_ course!" Mr. Rutgers spoke with a sort of bitter gloom, spiced with vindictiveness. "Here it is. I had him sign it. I wrote it. It's one of those letters," went on the secretary, inflated with the pride of authorship, "that can be read at any meeting. It contains a dissertation on the beneficent influence of advertising, strengthened by citations from Epictetus, Buddha, George Francis Train, and other great moral teachers of this administration." "Thank you very much. I appreciate it. But, say, what's the matter with you coming in his place? I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I have a hunch that when it comes to slinging after-dinner oratory you'd do a great deal better." "Oh," said McDevitt, with a loyal shake of negation and a smile of assent. "No, I couldn't." "I'm sure--" "And then I'm going to Philadelphia on Saturday morning to stay over Sunday. I wish you'd asked me earlier." "So do I," murmured H. Rutgers, with conviction and despair judiciously admixed. The secretary had meant to quiz H. Rutgers about the association, but H. Rutgers's manner and words disarmed suspicion. It was not that H. Rutgers always bluffed, but that he always bluffed as he did, that makes his subsequent career one of the most interesting chapters of our political history. "And here's the permit," said the secretary. H. Rutgers, without looking at it, put it in his pocket as if it were all a matter of course. It strengthened the secretary's belief that non-suspiciousness was justified. "Thanks, very much," said H. Rutgers. "I am, I still repeat, very sorry that neither you nor the Mayor can come." He paid to the Mayor's eloquent secretary the tribute of a military salute and left the room. III The union of the sandwich-men was an assured success. Victory had come to H. Rutgers by the intelligent use of brains. The possession of brains is one of the facts that can always be confirmed at the source. Next he arranged for the band. He told the band-master what he wished the band to do. The band-master thereupon told him the price. "Friend," said H. Rutgers, pleasantly, "I do not deal in dreams either as buyer or seller. That's the asking price. Now, how much will you take?" Not having any money, Hendrik added, impressively, "Cash!"