He left the house immediately after dinner, and after a short walk on Broadway, found himself in the corridor of the main post office at a quarter before eight. He stationed himself in such a position as to command a view of all of those who entered or left the building. It was irksome business waiting for anyone in that place. The hands of the clock gradually moved around and it finally struck eight, but there was no sign of Arthur Black. Herbert waited on, feeling that the expected visitor would be likely to come in at any minute; but time continued to pass, and finally the clock struck nine. Herbert turned and left the building, filled with great disgust:
“Buncoed!” he muttered to himself. “Buncoed, by gosh! My first day in New York and I permit myself to be buncoed by a man who was even without standing in Cleverly! That’s a pretty good lesson for my first day in the metropolis.”
CHAPTER XII IN WHICH HERBERT BECOMES ACQUAINTED WITH SOME OF THE METHODS OF MODERN JOURNALISM
Herbert had been advised to call at the Argus office at noon for the purpose of presenting his letter of introduction to Mr. Blakeley, the city editor of that newspaper. He prepared himself carefully for the forthcoming interview, trying especially in a half conscious way to rid himself of the rustic appearance which he felt might lessen his prospects, or impair his prestige with the newspaper man he was about to meet. The Argus office was located almost in the center of the cluster of large buildings on Park Row, and as Herbert looked up at the edifice he could not repress a feeling of pride at the thought that in a day or so he would be numbered among the busy workers in that bee-hive of industry.
He took the elevator and was shot up to the fifth floor with a suddenness that almost took his breath away. A boy standing at the door of this landing demanded his card, and while Herbert sat there waiting for a reply he noticed that the door was kept locked, and that newcomers were greeted with a large sign which read:
“Positively no admittance except on business.”
He thought this was rather inhospitable at the time, but later in his career realized that it was a necessity in order to permit the orderly and speedy transaction of business. A newspaper office is looked upon as the Mecca for eccentric people of all kinds and characters and if they were admitted promiscuously they would consume the time of the editors and reporters and make it impossible to issue the paper at all.