"Since his death the patronage is larger than ever. "I now find myself confronted with what is equivalent to an embarrassment of riches on the one hand, and a famine of intelligent help on the other." At this statement Dennis attempted not to appear too deeply interested. "I employ a manager, the one we have always had, who desires to become a partner in the business; but his proposition is handicapped by the character of the consideration he is willing to offer for such an interest. "In other words, he considers that a proposal of marriage is an equivalent for any financial objection I may suggest." Despite his efforts, Dennis looked troubled. The lady smiled and continued: "I received this proposition two months since. Its suddenness surprised a plan which I have been perfecting for a long time. "In order to avoid any interruption to my purposes, I permitted the manager to believe that I was impressed with his offer, but desired a little time for consideration." "An' true, now," asked Dennis with genuine Irish impulse, "an' true, now, were you?" The lady smiled again. "Wait," she urged, "you shall see. "I have never trusted this man. He is not only personally obnoxious to me, but I fear that I cannot rely upon his business integrity. "Little by little, I have gathered together the threads of the business, and I now have a strong legal grip upon the situation, which enables me to decline this alliance with no possible jeopardy to the property. "But one consideration restrains me: I need a man of enterprise and address to succeed him. And now," she added with a simple, business-like directness, "I have a suggestion to offer: "You ransack Baxter Street to-morrow for Dickey Series C, and come with it to this address," and she placed a small card in his hand. "We can reach the end of the story, in which I am exceedingly interested, and when we have set our minds at rest on that point, I will give myself the pleasure of listening to whatever recommendations you may offer as to your fitness to take the place of the retiring management." "Oh!" exclaimed Dennis as he went through an absurd pantomime of punching himself, "an' is it awake you are, Dennis Muldoon?" At this the lady, with a cordial smile, indicated that the interview was at an end, and as she turned to depart, said: "You will come, then, to-morrow night?" And Dennis, hat in hand, with an unmistakable deference of attitude and demeanor, cheerily responded with a query that required no further answer than a rosy acknowledgment: "Will a duck swim?" CHAPTER VIII On the succeeding morning it seemed to the foreman of the shipping department of the publishers that his new marker did not manifest the same enthusiasm for his work which had distinguished his earlier efforts. It looked to him as if Dennis handled his paint-brush with the mien of one who considered his occupation a diversion rather than a means of livelihood.