His present difficulties mastered, this vivacious master of ceremonies turned to look, with an inquiring glance, upon Dennis, who had presented himself to the attention of the former with the unmistakable appeal of the candidate in his demeanor. "I want a job," said Dennis simply. "Phwat?" inquired the foreman sharply, staring at the mosaic of physiognomy and accent embodied in Dennis. "I want a job," repeated Dennis. "I nade wurk." There was no mistaking the peculiar burr in the utterance of the last two words, but the foreman continued to regard the speaker with suspicious amazement. "Phwat are ye, annyway?" he said with guarded brusqueness. "A poor man, sir; I nade wurk." "Oi don't mane that," with less severity at this frank acknowledgment; "but where do yez hail from--Limerick or Jerusalem?" At this pointed question, which promptly reminded Dennis of the singular contradiction he presented, he replied, with a genuine Celtic adroitness that had an immediate effect upon his hearer: "Nayther; I got off at the midway junction." "Ha, ha!" laughed the foreman, as he appreciated this clever explanation of the singular compromise presented by Dennis. "Shure, that's not bad. By the mug ye wear, I wud advise ye to go to Baxther Street, but by the sound av ye, Oi rickommind th' Broadway squad. Wurrk, is it? Why don't ye presint that face at th' front? I hear they're shy on editors." "Shure!" said Dennis, who believed that he was progressing; "but the only things I iver wrote were store signs." "Ah, ha!" replied the foreman, "so it's handy with th' brush ye are." "Yes," answered Dennis. "Wait a bit," said the foreman, and pointing to a marking-outfit he directed Dennis to display his name and address upon a smooth pine board which he provided for that purpose: DENNIS MULDOON, The Stag Hotel, Vesey St., N.Y. "Ah, ha!" cried the foreman as he contrasted the name with the incongruous face of the young man before him, "ye don't have to play it on a flute, annyway; there's nothin' Sheeny about that." Then, directing his attention to the character of the work itself, he added: "That's not bad at all, at all. See here," he said abruptly, as he picked up the board which Dennis had decorated and fastened it to the warehouse wall with a nail, "Oi'll kape that for riferince. Oh, Oi mane it," he said with gruff assurance, as he noted the disappointment which shadowed the expressive face before him; "an' mebbe ye won't have to wait so long, nayther." "I hope not," said Dennis frankly. "Well, ye see," said the foreman, "the prisint incoombent has been mixin' too much red wid his paint, an' it don't wurrk." "You mean he drinks?" asked Dennis with humorous inquiry. "Oi do," replied the foreman; "an' now that we have inthroduced th' subject, excuse a personal quistion: Do ye wet yure whistle in business hours?"