"You never will to me," interrupted Hendrik, making Weinie's unuttered words his own. It took away from Weinie all sense of proprietorship in his own property.
This also is called genius. Such men should be tax-collectors instead of railroad bankers.
Hendrik glanced toward the reporters and saw that Mr. Onthemaker was talking to them and looking at him—looking at him both ingratiatingly and proudly. He therefore knew that Max was being quoted by the newspaper men, and the only subject on which they would quote him was Hendrik Rutgers. He also knew that the desire for reflected glory, in all newspaper-reading countries, is so strong that Max would be a great political historian. The best way to blow your own horn is to lend it to an obscure friend.
Hendrik Rutgers left the Colossal Restaurant certain that he was News, and that his job consisted of continuing to be News.
To become News and then to continue to be News a man must be plausible, persistent, and picturesque.
There was no altitude of success to which he might not climb, provided he lost six-sevenths of his name and mutilated his surname in like degree.
He must become two letters: H. R.
He thus would become an immortal during his own lifetime, which was immortality enough for any man who merely wished to acquire fame, wealth, and one wife in his own country.
So brightly lighted was his road that he knew exactly where to plant each foot—in the front page!
He must do it all. Therefore he must make others do the work. But this man who now was a million miles beyond all bank clerks knew exactly what he needed, which made it easy for him to know exactly whom he needed. This knowledge would establish the basis on which the workers must work.