Nine o’clock found him in the office of the National Transportation Company. “Son, is Mr. Bailey, your purchasing agent, here?” he asked of the clerk. “Just this second come,” answered the boy, showing Walter into the agent’s office. Mr. Bailey, a jolly-faced man, arose. “Good morning; what can I do for you?” he inquired, pushing forward a chair. “My name is Walter Gary. I’m in the lumber business and I’ve come to talk to you about dunnage. I understand that you are paying about twenty dollars a thousand feet for the rough plank lumber, which you use to separate and pack your cargoes of wheat for England.” “Yes,” replied the agent. “My business,” continued Walter, “is wholesale lumber, and I represent large Southern mills, besides having a yard fairly well stocked on the water front. My proposition is to furnish you, without charge, lumber of good grade--ones, twos and commons, good lengths, which will make less work in separating cargoes, and being of good quality will be reasonably free from knots and shakes and much more satisfactory material to handle. However, we are not giving you something for nothing, although you will be free from expense in handling it. What we ask is that you deliver the lumber to our agents at dock in England when you have unloaded the wheat. You see, we both will profit by the transaction, as it will free you from your usual expense and at the same time will enable me to overcome the high rate of ocean freight.” The agent paced slowly up and down, with his hands thrust into his pockets, listening attentively to what Walter had to say. He was not an agent possessed of his own importance, as agents usually are, but made the situation easy by a kindly nod of his head at intervals--and with each nod Walter saw visions of his own home and Betty as its mistress. “That sounds like a pretty clever scheme,” he said, continuing to walk back and forth. “Can we always have dunnage when we want it? In other words can we depend upon you?” “Most assuredly,” answered Walter, in the tone of one accustomed to keeping his word. “We will furnish bond guaranteeing deliveries.” “Of course, it would have to be submitted to the president and directors before I could act, but if you care to put your proposition in writing and will return tomorrow at three, I shall try to get in touch with them immediately.” It was hard for Walter to conceal his elation. Was it possible that he had at last found a means by which he could ship lumber to Europe where it was greatly needed for building and rebuilding and where his agent could dispose of it at almost any figure--all without the exorbitant freight rates imposed since the war started and which had not yet been removed? “I shall return at three tomorrow, Mr. Bailey, good-day.” “Good-day.” Walter stepped briskly into his office, did a little two-step, tossed his hat in the air, and said, “I have great hopes, Miss Franklin, great hopes.”