She was relieved to hear that. It was a better excuse than some, but still it was not a justifiable excuse for a man who needed all his energies. "You didn't get enough sleep, then." "I should say not," Don admitted cheerfully. "In bed at four and up at seven." "You look it." "And I feel it." "You can't keep that up long." "Sunday's coming, and I'm going to sleep all day," he declared. "But what's the use of getting into that condition?" she inquired. He thought a moment. "Well, I don't suppose a man can cut off everything just because he's in business." "That's part of the business--at the beginning," she returned. "To work all the time?" "To work all the time," she nodded. "I wish I had your chance." "My chance to work?" he laughed. "Your chance to get ahead," she answered. "It's all so easy--for a man!" "Easy?" "You don't have to do anything but keep straight and keep at work. You ought to have taken those circulars home with you last night and learned them by heart." "I've read 'em. But, hang it all, they don't mean anything." "Then find out what they mean. Keep at it until you do find out. The firm isn't going to pay you for what you _don't_ know." "But last night--well, a man has to get around a little bit." "Around where?" she questioned him. "Among his friends. Doesn't he?" She hesitated. "It seems to me you'll have to choose between dances and business." "Eh?" She nodded. "Between dances and business. I tell you, this next six months is going to count a lot on how you make good with Farnsworth." "Well, he isn't the only one," he said. "He's the only one in this office--I know what I'm talking about." "But outside the office--" She put down her fork. "I don't know why I'm mixing up in your business," she declared earnestly. "Except that I've been here three years now, and have seen men come and go. Every time they've gone it has been clear as daylight why they went. Farnsworth is square. He hasn't much heart in him, but he's square. And he has eyes in the back of his head." She raised her own eyes and looked swiftly about the room as if she half-expected to discover him here. "What's the matter?" he inquired. She did not answer his question, but as she ran on again she lowered her voice:-- "You've been in his office to-day?" "He gave me some more circulars," Don admitted. "Then you'd better believe he knew you didn't get to bed last night until 4 a.m. And you'd better believe he has tucked that away in his mind somewhere." Don appeared worried. "He didn't say anything." "No, he didn't say anything. He doesn't say anything until he has a whole collection of those little things. Even then he doesn't say much; but what he does say--counts." "You don't think he's getting ready to fire me?" he asked anxiously.