h his squint eye, his militant swagger, and a general bearing of unrepressed hostility toward all created beings, he was professionally known as "Bim." Journalism, for him, was com

ion of an argument in which Reginald, all unwitting, had essayed to maintain his thesis

one coming up the dim stairway several steps at a time aroused his ready suspicions. He bristled fort

r want

e edit

r want

out a card. "Take this to him, please, a

ore unwisely, he ignored a certain tensity of expression upon the face o

vum, I said. Did

ced, then strove with and was finally tripped and thrown by a large and lurking waste-basket. Somewhat perturbed, he extricated himself in time to see the decisive visitor di

urrier; "I never seen tha

ight, asked a question, got a response, and entered the editor's den. Two littered desks made up the principal furniture of the place. Impartially distributed between

he editor?

Sterne. How the devil

held up the morning's clipping, he

Sterne, nervously h

rington S

oft, long-drawn note. "Dr. S

es

ward as it's going to be unless yo

dding up a newspaper clipping from the desk in front of hi

gentleman, starting up

man from the Trouble Bel

out of his chair, exhibiting a squat, gnar

elf, without any particular violence but with astonishing quickness, between the caller and his prey. Without at all knowing whence i

s he wholly destitute of reasoning powers and caution. The figure before him was of an unques

ood-humoredly. "Appropriately framed and hung upon the wall, fifteen cen

figure. "You're the office bully

. Bounce only when compelled. O

indicating Sterne. "Put up your toy, the

p through his hands, uncertainly. "I'm not fool en

val. "First sensible thing I'v

projected a little-"am I go

's any libel in what the 'Clarion' has said

Hal produced his document. "If you've got an iota of de

ng doing," he stated succinctly. "Did Dr.

esn't know th

rrington Surtaine. If your father wants to make a fair and decent statement, without abuse

ackmailer!" s

business, my young friend

n't always keep your paid bully with you, I s

'll land

doesn't he?" said Mr. Ell

t. We've never asked Dr. Surtaine for a dollar. He hasn't got a thing on us.

ess. Just as we go out af

given you

per in town gets his copy; why shouldn't we? We have to look out for ourselves. We look out for our patron

s modern j

," cried Sterne. "No differe

per men the scum of the earth," said Hal

grown-up man, anyway. You look as if you might have some sense abo

f speech and manner in the

. "Perhaps there are other ways of getting at this thing. Just for a test,-f

's just one person

is

own

you'll

him a look that was a sile

othing," said Hal, with an effort a

Guire Ellis of his chief, as th

hen'll the next Surt

e finished

ld boy squeal yet. Do you believe the boy w

ty straight boy he look

f a pin-head. Distributing agency for the old

platively. "Of course he acts gosh-awful y

articu

as sm

el

hat smiles when he's licked.

ure after the Washington copy was run off, and blink rapidly. At the same moment Mr. David Sterne gave utterance to an exclamation, pa

, gentlemen,"

osyllable "young." Without further greeting the visitor took off his hat and

ding his coat, hung that on ano

d, McGuire Ellis released his

answer?" dem

ht out the 'Cla