Theodore Marrin came in a beautiful heavy automobile. He was a short man, with a stout stomach; his face was a deep red, with large, slightly bulging black eyes, tiny mustache over his full lips; and he was dressed immaculately and in good taste--a sort of Parisian-New Yorker, hail-fellow-well-met, a mixer, a cynic, a man about town. He swung his cane lightly as he tripped up the steps, sniffed the air, and knocked on the door of the editorial office.
"I should hope he was! There, my boy." He deftly waved Billy aside and stepped in. "Well! well! Mr. Blaine!"
Joe turned about, and arose, and accepted Mr. Marrin's extended hand.
"Well, Mr. Blaine, I'm the employer of one of your men. You know Jacob Izon?"
"Unique! unique!" He sat down, and pulled off his gloves. "I've been wanting to meet you for a long time. Izon's been talking, handing me your paper. It's a delightful little sheet--I enjoy it immensely."
"Oh no, no, no! I read it the way I read fiction! It's damned interesting!"
"What can I do for _you_!" corrected Marrin.
"See here, Mr. Blaine, I'm interested. How about taking a little ad. from me, just for fun, to help the game along?"
"Oh, I know! But if I contribute handsomely! I'd like to show it around to my friends a bit. Come, come, don't be unreasonable, Mr. Blaine."
Sally shuffled about, coughed, arose, sat down again, and Joe laughed.
"Can't do it. Not even Rockefeller could buy a line of my paper."
"Well, what a shame! But never mind. Some other time. Tell me, Mr. Blaine"--he leaned forward--"what are you? One of these bloody socialists?"
"What d'ye call yourself, then--Republican?"
"A fine fellow!" cried Marrin. "Why, a man's got to stand for something."
"I do," said Joe, "I stand for human beings--and sometimes," he chuckled, "I stand for a whole lot!"
"Clever!" cried Marrin. "Damned clever! You're cleverer than I thought--hide your scheme up, don't you? Well! well! Let me see your plant!"
Joe showed him about, and Marrin kept patting him on the back: "Delightful! Fine! You're my style, Mr. Blaine--everything done to a nicety, no frills and feathers. Isn't New York a great town? There are things happening in it you'd never dream of."
"Now, if there's anything I can do for you, Mr. Blaine, don't hesitate to call on me. And say, step up and see my shop. It's the finest this side of Paris. I'll show you something you've never seen yet! Good-by!"