“You would think so,” replied the Lizard.  “I’ve tried two or three times to go straight.  Wore out my shoes looking for a job.  Never landed anything that paid me more than ten bucks per, and worked nine or ten hours a day, and half the time I couldn’t get that.”

“I suppose the police hounded you all the time, too,” suggested Jimmy.

“Naw,” said the Lizard; “dat’s all bunk.  De fellows that couldn’t even float down a sewer straight pull dat.  Once in a while dey get it in for some guy, but dey’re glad enough to leave us alone if we leave dem alone.  I worked four hours to-day, maybe six before I get through, and I’ll stand a chance of makin’ all the way from fifty dollars to five thousand.  Suppose I was drivin’ a milk-wagon, gettin’ up at t’ree o’clock in the mornin’ and workin’ like hell—­how much would I get out of dat?  Expectin’ every minute some one was goin’ tuh fire me.  Nuthin’ doin’—­dey can’t nobody fire me now.  I’m my own boss.”

“Well,” said Jimmy, “your logic sounds all right, but it all depends upon the viewpoint.  But I’ll tell you:  you’ve offered me your services; I’ll offer you mine.  Whenever you want a job, look me up.  I’m going to be general manager of a big concern here, and you’ll find me in the next issue of the telephone directory.”  He handed the Lizard his card.

“Tanks,” said the latter.  “If you don’t want a box cracked any sooner than I want a job, the chances are we will never meet again.  So-long,” and he was gone as noiselessly as he had come.

Jimmy breakfasted at nine the next morning, and as he waited for his bacon and eggs he searched the Situations Wanted columns of the morning paper until his eye finally alighted upon that for which he sought—­the ad that was to infuse into the business life of the great city a new and potent force.  Before his breakfast was served Jimmy had read the few lines over a dozen times, and with each succeeding reading he was more and more pleased with the result of his advertising ability as it appeared in print.

Wanted—­By College Graduate—­Position as General Manager of Large Business where ability, energy and experience will be appreciated.  Address 263-S, Tribune Office.

He had decided to wait until after lunch before calling at the newspaper office for replies to his advertisement, but during breakfast it occurred to him there probably would be several alert prospective employers who would despatch their replies by special messengers, and realizing that promptness was one of the cardinal virtues in the business world, Jimmy reasoned that it would make a favorable impression were he to present himself as soon as possible after the receipt of replies.

By a simple system of reasoning he deduced that ten o’clock would be none too early to expect some returns from his ad, and therefore at ten promptly he presented himself at the Want Ad Department in the Tribune office.