Speedy sought the nearest subway station.
A hungry-faced crowd of men, young and old, were waiting in the ante-room to the spacious offices of the Consolidated Steel Corporation when Speedy breezily opened the door and walked in. They eyed him hostilely, as job-seekers always greet a newcomer and additional competitor. He smiled back at them with confidence. He gave the impression that he had been especially sent to take the job by Charles M. Schwab or some other steel man. His bearing had its effect upon the underling who presently distributed application blanks among the suppliants. He handed Speedy one first. Pens and pencils worked industriously for five minutes. Speedy was ready with his filled-in blank before the others. He strode over the front of the line to hand it to the waiting clerk. Then he stayed there, despite the protests of the man he had supplanted.
Before an actual battle broke out, the clerk, noticing only that Speedy was the first in line and not questioning how he got there, opened the little gate leading to the inner office and motioned him in.
"Second office to the right," directed the guide.
The glass door to this sanctum read, "William Talbott, Office Manager."
The pale, thin-haired man behind the immense flat-topped desk was scanning his application blank when Speedy entered.
"I read where you advertised for me," sang out Speedy blithely.
"What do you mean?" asked Talbott. "I never saw or heard of you before."
