"Well?"
"Where am I going, sir?"
"New Haven, Connecticut—a good town, and one that will give you plenty of work. You'd better start for there to-night. I hope you will like it as much as you expect."
"Thank you, sir," Hamilton replied, seeing that his superior deemed the interview at an end. "I'll do the very best I can."
On arriving in New Haven the following day, Hamilton made his way to the local Census Office opened by his new leader. He found Mr. Burns to be a typical statistician, to whom figures had a meaning beyond themselves, but to whom little was of value unless it could be expressed in figures. Hamilton introduced himself briefly.
"You're Noble," the other said abruptly. "When will you be ready to begin?"
"Any time," answered Hamilton. "Right after lunch, sir, if you want me to make a start."
"There's a portfolio," the census agent answered, "take it along and you can begin just as soon as you're ready."
"What instructions have you to give me, sir?" asked Hamilton.
"I save eleven and a half per cent of the time given to instructions by writing them. You'll find a copy in there," he said, pointing to the portfolio.