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interviewed him asked him what experience he had had with ladies' hosiery。
〃About four or five years；〃 replied Jimmy。
〃For whom did you work？〃
〃I was in business for myself；〃 replied the applicant； 〃both in the West and in the East。 I got my first experience in a small town in Nebraska； but I carried on a larger business in the East later。〃
So they gave Jimmy a trial in a new section of the hosiery department； wherein he was the only male clerk。 The buyer had discovered that there was a sufficient proportion of male customers； many of whom displayed evident embarrassment in purchasing hosiery from young ladies； to warrant putting a man clerk in one of the sections for this class of trade。
The fact of the matter was； however； that the astute buyer was never able to determine the wisdom of his plan； since Jimmy's entire time was usually occupied in waiting upon impressionable young ladies。 However； inasmuch as it redounded to the profit of the department； the buyer found no fault。
Possibly if Jimmy had been almost any other type of man from what he was； his presence would not have been so flamboyantly noticeable in a hosiery department。 His stature； his features； and his bronzed skin； that had lost nothing of its bronze in his month's search for work through the hot summer streets of a big city； were as utterly out of place as would have been the salient characteristics of a chorus…girl in a blacksmith…shop。
For the first week Jimmy was frightfully embarrassed； and to his natural bronze was added an almost continuous flush of mortification from the moment that he entered the department in the morning until he left it at night。
〃It is a job； however；〃 he thought； 〃and ten dollars is better than nothing。 I can hang onto it until something better turns up。〃
With his income now temporarily fixed at the amount of his wages； he was forced to find a less expensive boarding…place； although at the time he had rented his room he had been quite positive that there could not be a cheaper or more undesirable habitat for man。 Transportation and other considerations took him to a place on Indiana Avenue near Eighteenth Street； from whence he found he could walk to and from work； thereby saving ten cents a day。 〃And believe me；〃 he cogitated； 〃I need the ten。〃
Jimmy saw little of his fellow roomers。 A strange； drab lot he thought them from the occasional glimpses he had had in passings upon the dark stairway and in the gloomy halls。 They appeared to be quiet； inoffensive sort of folk； occupied entirely with their own affairs。 He had made no friends in the place； not even an acquaintance； nor did he care to。 What leisure time he had he devoted to what he now had come to consider as his life workthe answering of blind ads in the Help Wanted columns of one morning and one evening paperthe two mediums which seemed to carry the bulk of such advertising。
For a while he had sought a better position by applying during the noon hour to such places as gave an address close enough to the department store in which he worked to permit him to make the attempt during the forty…five…minute period be was allowed for his lunch。
But he soon discovered that nine…tenths of the positions were filled before he arrived； and that in the few cases where they were not he not only failed of employment； but was usually so delayed that he was late in returning to work after noon。
By replying to blind ads evenings he could take his replies to the two newspaper offices during his lunch hour； thereby losing no great amount of time。 Although he never received a reply； he still persisted as be found the attempt held something of a fascination for him； similar probably to that which holds the lottery devotee or the searcher after buried treasurethere was always the chance that he would turn up something big。
And so another month dragged by slowly。 His work in the department store disgusted him。 It seemed such a silly； futile occupation for a full…grown man； and he was always fearful that the sister or sweetheart or mother of some of his Chicago friends would find him there behind the counter in the hosiery section。
The store was a large one； including many departments； and Jimmy tried to persuade the hosiery buyer to arrange for his transfer to another department where his work would be more in keeping with his sex and appearance。
He rather fancied the automobile accessories line； but the buyer was perfectly satisfied with Jimmy's sales record； and would do nothing to assist in the change。 The university heavyweight champion had reached a point where he loathed but one thing more than he did silk hosiery； and that one thing was himself。
CHAPTER VI。
HAROLD PLAYS THE RAVEN。
Mason Compton； president and general manager； sat in his private office in the works of the International Machine Company； chewing upon an unlighted cigar and occasionally running his fingers through his iron…gray hair as he compared and recompared two statements which lay upon the desk before him。
〃Damn strange；〃 he muttered as he touched a button beneath the edge of his desk。 A boy entered the room。 〃Ask Mr。 Bince if he will be good enough to step in here a moment； please；〃 said Compton； and a moment later； when Harold Bince entered； the older man leaned back in his chair and motioned the other to be seated。
〃I can't understand these statements； Harold；〃 said Compton。 〃Here is one for August of last year and this is this August's statement of costs。 We never had a better month in the history of this organization than last month； and yet our profits are not commensurate with the volume of business that we did。 That's the reason I sent for these cost statements and have compared them； and I find that our costs have increased out of all proportions to what is warranted。 How do you account for it？〃
〃Principally the increased cost of labor；〃 replied Bince。 〃The same holds true of everybody else。 Every manufacturer in the country is in the same plight we are。〃
〃I know；〃 agreed Compton； 〃that that is true to some measure。 Both labor and raw materials have advanced； but we have advanced our prices correspondingly。 In some instances it seems to me that our advance in prices； particularly on our specialties； should have given us even a handsomer profit over the increased cost of production than we formerly received。
〃In the last six months since I appointed you assistant manager I am afraid that I have sort of let things get out of my grasp。 I have a lot of confidence in you； Harold； and now that you and Elizabeth are engaged I feel even more inclined to let you shoulder the responsibilities that I have carried alone from the inception of this organization。 But I've got to be mighty sure that you are going to do at least as well as I did。 You have shown a great deal of ability； but you are young and haven't had the advantage of the years of experience that made it possible for me to finally develop a business second to none in this line in the West。
〃I never had a son； and after Elizabeth's mother died I have lived in the hope somehow that she would marry the sort of chap who would really take the place of such a son as every man dreams o