7; good morning." Next he crossed a courtyard where, by slipping stealthily around the corner, he came upon a jolly little errand boy, who was enjoying a solitary game of marbles.
_Whack_ came his cane across the seat of that errand boy's trousers, and in another minute he had followed the editor and the sandwich-devouring clerk.
And so the merry game went on for half an hour or more, till at last Mr.
Meeson was fain to cease his troubling, being too exhausted to continue his destroying course.

But next morning there was promotion going on in the great publishing house; eleven vacancies had to be filled.
A couple of glasses of brown sherry and a few sandwiches, which he hastily swallowed at a neighboring restaurant, quickly restored him, however; and, jumping into a cab, he drove post haste to his lawyers', Messrs.

Todd and James.
"Is Mr.Todd in ?" he said to the managing clerk, who came forward bowing obsequiously to the richest man in Birmingham.
"Mr.Todd will be disengaged in a few minutes, Sir," he said.

"May I offer you the _Times_ ?" "Damn the _Times_!" was the polite answer; "I don't come here to read newspapers.

Tell Mr.Todd I must see him at once, or else I shall go elsewhere." "I am much afraid Sir"-- began the managing clerk.
Mr.Meeson jumped up and grabbed his hat.