powerful acquaintances.

Since the first crushing blow that his father's letter had dealt his

egotism, Jimmy's self-esteem had been gradually returning, though along

new and more practical lines. His self-assurance was formed in a similar

mold to those of all his other salient characteristics, and these

conformed to his physical proportions, for physically, mentally and

morally Jimmy Torrance was big; not that he was noticeably taller than

other men or his features more than ordinarily attractive, but there was

something so well balanced and harmonious in all the proportions of his

frame and features as to almost invariably compel a second glance from

even a casual observer, especially if the casual observer happened to be

in the nonessential creation class.

And so Jimmy, having had plenty of opportunity to commune with himself

during the journey from New York, was confident that there were many

opportunities awaiting him in Chicago. He remembered distinctly of

having read somewhere that the growing need of big business concerns was

competent executive material--that there were fewer big men than there

were big jobs--and that if such was the case all that remained to be

done was to connect himself with the particular big job that suited him.

In the lobby of the hotel he bought several of the daily papers, and

after reaching his room he started perusing the "Help Wanted" columns.

Immediately he was impressed and elated by the discovery that there were

plenty of jobs, and that a satisfactory percentage of them appeared to

be big jobs. There were so many, however, that appealed to him as

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