It was a good car, a quality car in everything but sheer bulk.  Thompson knew that.  He knew, too, that people were buying motor cars on performance, not poundage, now.  He knew too that he could sell Summits—­if he could get territory in which to make sales.

He had thought about this before.  He knew that in the Groya files lay dealers’ contracts covering the cream of California, Oregon and Washington.  These dealers would handle Summits.  There had not seemed an opening wide enough to justify plans.  But now Tommy’s letter focused his vision upon a specific point.

If he could get that Vancouver territory!  Vancouver housed a hundred thousand people.  A Vancouver agency for the Summit, with a live man at the helm, would run to big figures.

No, he decided, he would not hastily grasp his fountain pen and say to Tommy Ashe, “Jump in and contract for territory and allotment, old boy.  The Summit is the goods.”  Not until he had looked over the ground himself.

He had two weeks’ vacation due when it pleased him.  And it pleased him to ask John P. as soon as he reached the office that very morning if it was convenient to the firm to do without him for the ensuing fortnight.

CHAPTER XX

THE SHADOW

Thompson went to Vancouver to spy out the land.  He made no confidants.  He went about the Terminal City with his mouth shut and his ears and eyes open.  What he saw and heard soon convinced him that like the Israelites of old he stood upon the border of a land which—­for his business purpose—­flowed with milk and honey.  It was easy to weave air castles.  He could visualize a future for himself in Vancouver that loomed big—­if he could but make the proper arrangements at the other end; that is to say, with Mr. John P. Henderson, President of the Summit Motors Corporation.  Thompson had faith enough in himself to believe he could make such an arrangement, daring as it seemed when he got down to actual figures.

It gave him a curious sense of relief to find Tommy Ashe flirting with the Petit Six people, apparently forgetful of the Summit specifications.  Thompson hadn’t quite taken as his gospel the sound business ethic that you must look out for number one first, last and always.  If Tommy had broached the subject personally, if he had shown anxiety to acquire selling rights in the Summit, Thompson would have felt impelled by sheer loyalty of friendship to help Tommy secure the agency.  That would have been quixotic, of course.  Nevertheless, he would have done it, because not to do it would have seemed like taking a mean advantage.  As it was—­