"I have not picked them yet," I said rather sheepishly.
"But," said Charlie, "a citizen may be prominent without knowing much about bread. Incidentally, after those three prominent citizens have tested every loaf of bread, Heaven help the poor babies in the hospital who have to eat what is left! And, say, if my landlady were to bake a loaf of bread in this contest, there would be death at some one's doorstep. She can no more bake bread than I can fly."
"Well," I remonstrated, "those people who can't bake bread won't send in loaves."
"I am inclined to think," said Charlie, "that they are just the people who will. And, incidentally, you insist on every one buying a bread mixer before sending in a loaf. Why don't you try the same thing with ice cream freezers? Insist on them spending a few dollars to buy an ice cream freezer, and submit a dab of ice cream for a contest?"
"I wish I had talked it over with you, now, Charlie," I blurted out.
"So do I," said Charlie.
Just then the telephone bell rang. Larsen answered and said it was for me. Mr. Barlow was at the telephone.
"Say, Dawson," he began, "who worked up that brilliant ad. you have in the paper this morning?"
"I did," I said, feeling pretty cheap, somehow.
"Did you find the women all lined up on the doorstep this morning, ready to buy bread mixers?" he asked.