It was more than she had ever dreamed an "artist" could make as an assured income.
"Aren't you glad—all that!" she exclaimed.
"That's not much. Billman gets twelve thousand and Fredericks eight. But I shall be able to make something 'on the side.'"
"I think it's wonderful!" Milly said.
But Jack exhibited slight enthusiasm.
"I'll have to see to getting illustrations for their idiotic stories and half tones and colors—all that rubbish, you know."
There was nothing inspiring to him in "educating the people in the best art," as the Responsible Editor had talked about the job.
"And they want me to contribute a series of articles on the new art centres in the United States: Denver in Art, Pittsburgh in Art, Milwaukee in Art—that sort of rot," he scoffed.
Milly saw nothing contemptible in this; all the magazines did the same thing in one subject or another to arouse local enthusiasm for themselves.
"You write so easily," she suggested, by way of encouragement, remembering the newspaper paragraphs he used to contribute to the Star.