These notices were put forth not only in the form of newspaper advertisements, but as placards and handbills, which were stuck all over the city, and thrown into all the stages, falling like autumn leaves into the laps of passengers.  This was the cooeperative work of the boy Bog, who, though adopted by old Van Quintem as his son and heir, had not yet given up the bill-sticking business, but, on the contrary, had increased it, and now had a practical monopoly of it in the city, with branches in the suburbs.  Bog would not eat the bread of idleness—­and so he had modestly told Mr. Van Quintem—­and that fine old gentleman had patted him on the back, and told him that there was genuine Dutch blood in him.

Bogert & Co. now employed a hundred lads; and Bog’s department of labor was the general planning of operations, and the receiving and disbursement of the money—­and a very nice and agreeable department it was.  It enabled Bog to dress neatly, and keep his hands clean—­two points upon which he was now extremely fastidious.  Bog was growing tall, manly, and handsome.  He was also showing a great improvement in his grammar and pronunciation—­the fruit of diligent attendance at the evening school.

The public, being thus continually informed that orders for the “Cosmopolitan Window Fastener” could not possibly be filled under two months, very naturally began to send in orders for the invaluable invention, to be filled after that period.  Every mail brought hundreds of them from all parts of the country.  The Company—­that is, Wesley Tiffles—­sat at their desk in the Broadway office from, nine to three o’clock, exhibiting the window fastener to hundreds of visitors, and receiving orders rather as a matter of favor to the customer than to the Company.

At the end of a month, when orders to the amount of nearly seventy-five thousand dollars had been received—­every Northern and Western State being extensively represented on the books—­the Company issued another advertisement, to the effect that, owing to the overwhelming pressure of business, they were willing to dispose of patent rights for two of the States.

There was a rush of applicants, to all of whom the Company could truthfully exhibit large and genuine orders from all the States.  The rights for two States were readily sold, and the Company then found that they could spare one more for a fair compensation; and so on, until every State in the Union had been disposed of, and the Company had not an inch of United States territory left.  Not only this, but liberal purchasers were found for Cuba, Canada, South America, England, France, Germany, Russia, and all the countries of the Continent.

In three months, the Company had disposed of their entire interest, and realized about one hundred thousand dollars cash.  This sum Tiffles had faithfully paid over, as fast as received, to Fayette Overtop, who not only represented Marcus Wilkeson (unknown to Pet), but was Pet’s own attorney and agent.  By Fayette Overtop it was placed in bank, credited to Miss Patty Minford, and subject to her order alone.