All that first year _Bunker's_ came more and more to the fore in their life. The wife of the Responsible Editor, Mrs. Montgomery Billman, called on Milly in company with Mrs. Fredericks, the wife of the Fiction Editor, and the two ladies, while critically examining Milly, talked of "our magazine" and described the Howard Bunkers, who evidently played a large rôle in their lives. Mrs. Billman, Milly decided, and so confided to her husband, was hard and ambitious socially. Mrs. Fredericks she "could not quite make out," and liked her better. Both the ladies seemed to "go in for things" hard and meant to "count." They knew much more about their husbands' affairs than Milly had ever cared to know about Jack's. She decided that was the modern way, and that Jack ought to take her more fully into his confidence. By the time she had returned these visits and realized the importance felt by the editors' wives for their husbands' work _Bunker's_ gained greatly in her eyes. Then, unexpectedly, the magazine became of first importance to the Bragdons. Jack was asked to become the Art Editor. He had been at luncheon with Bunker himself and the Responsible Editor, who was a gaunt and rather slouchy person from the other shore of the Mississippi. The Responsible Editor, who had a way of looking through his spectacles as if he were carrying heavy public burdens, unfolded to Bragdon the aims and purposes of the magazine, while Bunker contented himself with ordering the lunch and, at the close, making him the offer. Milly, when she learned of the offer, was surprised that her husband did not show more elation. She had a woman's respect for any institution, and Mrs. Billman had made her feel that _Bunker's_ was a very important institution. "What will they give?" she asked. "Six thousand." It was more than she had ever dreamed an "artist" could make as an assured income. "Aren't you glad--all that!" she exclaimed. "That's not much. Billman gets twelve thousand and Fredericks eight. But I shall be able to make something 'on the side.'" "I think it's wonderful!" Milly said. But Jack exhibited slight enthusiasm. "I'll have to see to getting illustrations for their idiotic stories and half tones and colors--all that rubbish, you know." There was nothing inspiring to him in "educating the people in the best art," as the Responsible Editor had talked about the job. "And they want me to contribute a series of articles on the new art centres in the United States: Denver in Art, Pittsburgh in Art, Milwaukee in Art--that sort of rot," he scoffed. Milly saw nothing contemptible in this; all the magazines did the same thing in one subject or another to arouse local enthusiasm for themselves. "You write so easily," she suggested, by way of encouragement, remembering the newspaper paragraphs he used to contribute to the _Star_. "But I want to paint!" Bragdon growled, and dropped the subject.