Three days afterward—the last but two of his week—he came in one afternoon and found that a letter had been pushed under his door. On the corner of the envelope was stamped The Hour. Vance's hands turned cold. He stood for a few seconds looking at that portentous name; then he tore open the envelope and read: "Dear Sir, The editor of The Hour asks me to say that he will be glad to take your story, 'One Day,' though The Hour does not usually publish short stories. I enclose a cheque for $50." There followed a vague secretarial signature, and underneath, untidily scrawled with a blunt pencil: "Better go back home and write more like it. Frenside." Vance stood a long time motionless, the letter in his hand. At first he was not aware of any sensation at all; and when it did come it seemed too strong for joy. It was more as if he had been buffeted in a crowd and had the wind knocked out of him, as he had on the day when he and Upton fought their way to the Crans' car after the ball game… .

"I want to go and see the ocean," he suddenly said aloud. He didn't know where the words had come from, but the force of the impulse was overwhelming. Perhaps he had unconsciously recalled Frenside's sneer: "Ever seen the ocean? Not even from Coney Island?" Well, he thought, he was going to see it now… . He put the cheque in his pocket and went out again. With that talisman on his breast he felt strong enough to conquer the world. What might it not have bought for him? Well, first of all it was going to buy him one of the greatest things in the universe… . He went round to Friendship House, found the friendly manager, and got his cheque cashed. Then he decided to leave the money in the manager's safe; it was no use risking it in crowded trains. And he meant to take a train that very minute, and get down to the Atlantic shore before it grew dark. He didn't know where—but he asked, and the manager said, smiling: "Why, we've got a camp of our own down on Long Island, not far from Rockaway. It's pretty near empty in the middle of the week; you might as well go down there, I guess. I'll give you a line to the man in charge—you look as if a good swim would pick you up… ." He scribbled a card. "Don't forget to come for your money, though," he said.