"Well,  from  what  I  have  seen  here  today  I  am  inclined
to  think  you  would.  Now  I  don't  know  that  I  shall  be  re-
turned to  the  Senate  after  this  year — there's  a  little  dispute
in  my  State — ^but  if  I  am,  and  you  want  to  write  me  after
next  January,  I  may  be  able  to  do  something  for  you.  I've
seen  a  lot  of  bright  young  fellows  come  up  in  the  newspaper


A  BOOK  ABOUT  MYSELF  57

profession,  and  I've  seen  a  lot  go  down.  If  you're  not  too
much  attached  to  it,  perhaps  you  would  like  this  other  better. ' '

He  smiled  serenely,  and  I  could  have  kissed  his  hands.  At
the  same  time,  if  you  please,  I  was  already  debating  whether
one  so  promising  as  myself  should  leave  the  newspaper  pro-
fession !

But  even  more  than  my  good  fortune  at  gleaning  this  bit
of  news  or  beat,  as  it  proved,  I  was  impressed  by  the  com-
pany I  was  keeping  and  the  realm  in  which  I  now  moved  as
ii^\Sy'rigbb^great  hotels,  a  newspaper  office  with  which  I  was
connected,  this  senator,  these  politicians,  the  display  of  com-
fort and  luxury  on  every  hand.  Only  a  little  while  back  I
was  an  inexperienced,  dreaming  collector  for  an  "easy -pay-
ment" company,  and  now  look  at  me!  Here  I  sat  on  this
grand  balcony,  the  senator  to  my  right,  a  table  between  us,
all  the  lovely  panorama  of  the  lake  and  Michigan  Drive  below.
