After waiting a week, two weeks, and half a week longer, desperation conquered diffidence, and he wrote to the editor of The Billow, suggesting that possibly through some negligence of the business manager his little account had been overlooked.
Even if it isn't more than five dollars, Martin thought to himself, it will buy enough beans and pea-soup to enable me to write half a dozen like it, and possibly as good.
Back came a cool letter from the editor that at least elicited Martin's admiration.
"We thank you," it ran, "for your excellent contribution.

All of us in the office enjoyed it immensely, and, as you see, it was given the place of honor and immediate publication.

We earnestly hope that you liked the illustrations.
"On rereading your letter it seems to us that you are laboring under the misapprehension that we pay for unsolicited manuscripts.

This is not our custom, and of course yours was unsolicited.

We assumed, naturally, when we received your story, that you understood the situation.