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"Well, I do," said Mr. Schmidt stoudy. "I give you just two minutes to make up your mind." Just then the door opened, and a young man who was evidently from the country entered. "I seed your advertisement," he said. "I want to be an agent, if you can give me a chance."

Otto Schmidt smiled sardonically, and was about to speak, when Hugo said hurriedly, "Come out into the hall, Mr. Schmidt, and I think we can arrange your business satisfactorily."

"All right! I come," and he followed Hugo out into the entry.

"I will pay you your money," said the agent. "It is quite against my rules, but I will make an exception in your case."

"I want a dollar more to pay me for my time," said the German, appreciating his advantage.

"But, my dear sir, this is very unreasonable," said Mr. Higgins uneasily.

"Then I go back into the room and show you up."

"Very well, here is your money!" and Hugo with great reluctance drew out eight dollars and thirty-five cents and handed it to Mr. Schmidt.

Otto Schmidt chuckled and nodded significantly at the discomfited Hugo.

"I may be a Dutchman," he said, "but I ain't no chump."

Hugo re-entered the office and smiled affably at the young man from the country.

"One of our successful agents," he said, nodding towards the door. "I won't tell you how much that German gentleman has made by selling our famous packages, for you might not believe me."

"Can you give me a chance?" asked the young hayseed anxiously.

"Well, I think I can," said Hugo with assumed hesitation, and then he explained on what terms he sold, as he had done to Jed.

"How many packages will you take?" he asked pleasantly.

"I guess I'll take a dozen to begin with," said the young man from the country.

"A dozen!" replied Hugo, much disappointed. "My, that's no order at all. You would have to come back for more before the day was out."

"Well, I'll take fifteen," said the young man after reflection.

"You'd better take fifty. Very few of our agents take less than fifty."

"No, I ain't got much money. I'll only take fifteen to begin with."

And to this determination he adhered, in spite of the persuasions of Mr. Higgins.

As Hugo wrapped up the packages and received back two dollars and twenty-five cents, he regretted that he had so hastily agreed to buy back Mr. Schmidt's boxes at an advance on the original cost.

"Where would you advise me to sell?" asked the young man.

"Country towns are best," said Hugo. "Some distance from the city, I advise, as those who live near New York can come here and buy, and are less ready to patronize agents."

Jed smiled to himself. He understood that Mr. Higgins wished to guard against a visit from the young man in case his business failed to meet his anticipations. He lingered behind after the rural visitor had gone.

"I hope," said Hugo, "you took no stock in what that stupid Dutchman said."

"Well," replied Jed, "it shows that some of your agents are not successful."

"A man like that could not succeed in selling anything," said Hugo scornfully. "Now it is different with you. You look smart."

Jed smiled. He began to understand Mr. Higgins and his methods. "Then you remember the letters from the agents which I read you."

"Yes," answered Jed, but he felt convinced now that the letters were bogus, and manufactured by Mr. Higgins himself.

"When you can command the necessary funds I shall be glad to have you call and buy a bundle of samples."

"I don't think I shall care to enter into the business, Mr. Higgins," said Jed. "It would be an experiment, and I am not in a position to try experiments."

Higgins looked at Jed, and saw that he was understood.

"Very well!" he said coldly. "You must do as you like, but you are making a mistake."

Jed left the office and went down stairs. What had happened did not encourage him. It seemed a good deal harder to make a living in a large city than he supposed.

He saw now that there were sharpers ready to fleece the young and inexperienced. If he had not been robbed of his money, in all probability he would have fallen a victim to the persuasive but deceptive representations of Mr. Higgins, and have come back disappointed like Mr. Otto Schmidt.

He continued his walk down Nassau Street, and presently turned into Broadway. His attention was attracted to a church with a very high spire feeing Wall Street. He inquired the name and found it was Trinity Church. The Scranton meeting-house could easily have been tucked away in one corner of the large edifice, and as far as height was concerned, it was but an infant compared with a six-footer.

He walked still further down Broadway, till he reached a green park, which he found was called the Battery. Feeling somewhat fatigued, he sat down on a bench near the sea-wall and looked over toward Governor's Island. Craft of different sizes were passing, and Jed was interested and exhilarated by the spectacle.

CHAPTER XXVIII.
A Strange Commission

JED'S companion on the seat was a sallow-faced black-bearded man. Jed merely glanced at him, but presently became aware that he had become the object of the sallow man's scrutiny.