Jimmy's "big idea" begins as a youthful flash of genius and grows into a dangerous contest of ambition, invention, and betrayal. Convinced he has found a revolutionary way to build a factory over coal and burn the fuel underground, piping the heat upward to save on mining and shipping, he shares the plan with Anne, who helps him sharpen it and gladly accepts his marriage proposal once he succeeds. Armed with confidence, Jimmy heads to New York to win backing from the Wentworth Glass Company, only to discover how hard it is to get past office gatekeepers and powerful men. Rebuffed again and again, he finally reaches Mr. Leffingwell Hope, Wentworth's secretary, who seems cold and suspicious but is secretly fascinated. Jimmy's rough explanation exposes the gaps in his knowledge, and he realizes he must learn the glass business before anyone will take him seriously. Hope, meanwhile, sees profit in the idea and decides to steal it, presenting it to Mr. Wentworth as an absurd scheme while quietly bringing in Isaac Merkle, a practical consulting chemist, to explore its real possibilities. Soon Jimmy's dream becomes the center of a covert race for credit, control, and fortune. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.