"Nice day," he said, affably.
"Very nice," responded Luke.
"I suppose you are bound to Chicago?"
"Yes, I expect to stay there awhile."
"Going farther?"
"I can"t tell yet."
"Going to school out there?"
"No."
"Perhaps you are traveling for some business firm, though you look pretty young for that."
"No, I"m not a drummer, if that"s what you mean. Still, I have a commisison from a New York business man."
"A commission--of what kind?" drawled the newcomer.
"It is of a confidential character," said Luke.
"Ha! close-mouthed," thought the young man. "Well, I"ll get it out of him after awhile."
He didn"t press the question, not wishing to arouse suspicion or mistrust.
"Just so," he replied. "You are right to keep it to yourself, though you wouldn"t mind trusting me if you knew me better. Is this your first visit to Chicago?"
"Yes, sir."
"Suppose we exchange cards. This is mine."
He handed Luke a card, bearing this name.
J. MADISON COLEMAN
At the bottom of the card he wrote in pencil, "representing H. B. Claflin & Co."
"Of course you"ve heard of our firm," he said.
"Certainly."
"I don"t have the firm name printed on my card, for Claflin won"t allow it. You will notice that I am called for old President Madison. He was an old friend of my grandfather. In fact, grandfather held a prominent office under his administration-- collector of the port of New York."
"I have no card with me," responded Luke. "But my name is Luke Larkin."
"Good name. Do you live in New York?"
"No; a few miles in the country."
"And whom do you represent?"
"Myself for the most part," answered Luke, with a smile.
"Good! No one has a better right to. I see there"s something in you, Luke."
"You"ve found it out pretty quick," thought Luke.
"And I hope we will get better acquainted. If you"re not permanently employed by this party, whose name you don"t give, I will get you into the employ of Claflin & Co., if you would like it."
"Thank you," answered Luke, who thought it quite possible that he might like to obtain a position with so eminent a firm. "How long have you been with them?"
"Ten years--ever since I was of your age," promptly answered Mr. Coleman.
"Is promotion rapid?" Luke asked, with interest.
"Well, that depends on a man"s capacity. I have been pushed right along. I went there as a boy, on four dollars a week; now I"m a traveling salesman--drummer as it is called--and I make about four thousand a year."
"That"s a fine salary," said Luke, feeling that his new acquaintance must be possessed of extra ability to occupy so desirable a position.
"Yes, but I expect next year to get five thousand--Claflin knows I am worth it, and as he is a liberal man, I guess he will give it sooner than let me go."
"I suppose many do not get on so well, Mr. Coleman."
"I should say so! Now, there is a young fellow went there the same time that I did--his name is Frank Bolton. We were schoolfellows together, and just the same age, that is, nearly--he was born in April, and I in May. Well, we began at the same time on the same salary. Now I get sixty dollars a week and he only twelve--and he is glad to get that, too."
"I suppose he hasn"t much business capacity."
"That"s where you"ve struck it, Luke. He knows about enough to be clerk in a country store--and I suppose he"ll fetch up there some day. You know what that means--selling sugar, and tea, and dried apples to old ladies, and occasionally measuring off a yard of calico, or selling a spool of cotton. If I couldn"t do better than that I"d hire out as a farm laborer."
Luke smiled at the enumeration of the duties of a country salesman.
It was clear that Mr. Coleman, though he looked city-bred, must at some time in the past have lived in the country.
"Perhaps that is the way I should turn out," he said. "I might not rise any higher than your friend Mr. Bolton."
"Oh, yes, you would. You"re smart enough, I"ll guarantee. You might not get on so fast as I have, for it isn"t every young man of twenty-six that can command four thousand dollars a year, but you would rise to a handsome income, I am sure."
"I should be satisfied with two thousand a year at your age."
"I would be willing to guarantee you that," a.s.serted Mr. Coleman, confidently. "By the way, where do you propose to put up in Chicago?"
"I have not decided yet."
"You"d better go with me to the Ottawa House."
"Is it a good house?"