"The success of your Tiffin-Talk," they wrote, "has been such that we
are prepared to offer you our highest terms for a short story of
30,000 words, or thereabouts, to be published in our 'Blue and Silver
Series.' We should like to have it a love-story, if possible; but
whatever it is, it must be characteristic, and ready for publication
in November. We shall need to have the manuscript by September 1st
at the latest. If you can let us have the first few chapters in
August, we can send them at once to Mr. Chromely, whom it is our
intention to have illustrate the story, provided he can be got to do
it."

The letter closed with a few formalities of an unimportant and
stereotyped nature, and Harley immediately called at the office of
Messrs. Herring, Beemer, & Chadwick, where, after learning that
their best terms were no more unsatisfactory than publishers' best
terms generally are, he accepted the commission.

And then, returning to his apartment, he went into what Kelly called
one of his trances.

"He goes into one of his trances," Kelly had said, "hoists himself up
to his little elevation, and peeps into the private life of hoi
polloi until he strikes something worth putting down and the result
he calls literature."

"Yes, and the people buy it, and read it, and call for more," said
the Professor.

"Possibly because they love notoriety," said Kelly, "and they think
if they call for more often enough, he will finally peep in at their