“Why, Blonde dear, you’re not—!”

“No, I’m not,” gulped Emma McChesney.  “Don’t flatter yourself, young ’un.  Tell me just how it happened.  From the beginning.”  She perched at the side of the bed.  Jock, hands in pockets, hair a little rumpled, paced excitedly up and down before her as he talked.

“There wasn’t any beginning.  That’s the stunning part of it.  I just landed right into the middle of it with both feet.  I knew they had been planning to start a big Western branch.  But we all thought they’d pick some big man for it.  There are plenty of medium-class dubs to be had.  The kind that answers the ad:  ’Manager wanted, young man, preferably married, able to furnish A-1 reference.’  They’re as thick as advertising men in Detroit on Monday morning.  But we knew that this Western branch was going to be given an equal chance with the New York office.  Those big Western advertisers like to give their money to Western firms if they can.  So we figured that they’d pick a real top-notcher—­even Hopper, or Hupp, maybe—­and start out with a bang.  So when the Old Man called me into his office this morning I was as unconscious as a babe.  Well, you know Berg.  He’s as unexpected as a summer shower and twice as full of electricity.

“‘Morning, McChesney!’ he said.  ’That a New York necktie you’re wearing?’

“‘Strictly,’ says I.

“‘Ever try any Chicago ties?’

“‘Not from choice.  That time my suit case went astray—­’

“‘M-m-m-m, yes.’  He drummed his fingers on the table top a couple of times.  Then—­McChesney, what have you learned about advertising in the last two and a half years?’

“I was wise enough as to Bartholomew Berg to know that he didn’t mean any cut-and-dried knowledge.  He didn’t mean rules of the game.  He meant tricks.

“‘Well,’ I said, ’I’ve learned to watch a man’s eyes when I’m talking business to him.  If the pupils of his eyes dilate he’s listening to you, and thinking about what you’re saying.  When they contract it means that he’s only faking interest, even though he’s looking straight at you and wearing a rapt expression.  His thoughts are miles away.’

“‘That so?’ said Berg, and sort of grinned.  ‘What else?’

“’I’ve learned that one negative argument is worth six positive ones; that it never pays to knock your competitor; that it’s wise to fight shy of that joker known as “editorial cooeperation."’

“‘That so?’ said Berg.  ‘Anything else?’

“I made up my mind I could play the game as long as he could.

“’I’ve learned not to lose my temper when I’m in the middle of a white-hot, impassioned business appeal and the office boy bounces in to say to the boss:  “Mrs. Jones is waiting.  She says you were going to help her pick out wall paper this morning;” and Jones says, “Tell her I’ll be there in five minutes."’

“‘Sure you’ve learned that?’ said Berg.