The Clarion

the tables on his enemies. Yet it was with no undue swagger that he seated himself upon a chair of prob

bluff, I suppo

our la

n the 'phone, will you, and

hom he addressed with that charming impersonality employed toward babies, pet dogs, and t

d ingratiating tone, for which Hal liked him none the bett

e to his principal, after a moment's talk over the

aper experience, Mr. Su

he practi

ose you'll want

oubt

ral months-" "Yes: I've been over the contracts with a

e," observed McGuire Ellis philosophicall

otested Sterne. "Even

with which that employee favored his boss fairly convicted the

u'll both be fairly treated,

go rapidly to hell and take my contr

fired

ave you the

Out of the corner of his eye, however, he could see McGuire Ellis making pantomime as

ill just suit Sterne," observed Ellis,

d his principal. "There's n

dictionary," said Hal quietly. "Perha

per doesn't make

n. But see here, Mr. Ellis, do

d was no good? Do you expe

al honor, then, I

scathing contempt. "You step in here an

! How can you k

se could

ent, findin

esponsibility, for any one with any decent sense of responsibility, that a man could

you make of it, yo

open, and remould it nearer to the heart's desire! That's what a newspaper might be, and

ane, my boy," t

I was nearer praying then than I've ever been since I came to this

s," beg

kind that's made journalism the sewer of the professions, full of the scum and drainings of every other t

Where do you come in on the idealist bu

be new? Would I waste

ever have since

fford that luxury, now that you 're not my boss

rink to-

going to tell young Bib-and-Tucker over there a thing or two about his new toy.

Sterne, and looked over to Hal for

ced around in his chair and now sat regarding the

run it yourself, and you'll dip deeper and deeper into Poppa's medicine-bag till he gets sick of it and closes you up; or you'll hire some p

any rate," said Hal, his mind re

l live on suppression and distortion and manipulation of n

asis of the newspaper b

ng. It certainly

rate. Where's all your

All idealism goes t

rk. You see, Mr. Ellis, I'm so

lism. Guaranteed under the

intent on his subject to note either Sterne's half-wink or Ellis's stare of blank amazement. "And I'm going to run this n

icy of the paper, Mr. Surtaine," pu

ork on some paper that pr

I have to earn my own living. It isn't profitable to make a religion of one's professio

me," said Hal, with ruminative frankness. "I t

rket," returne

s really my own money I've put int

inquired Ellis: "since we're te

nd thirty thou

th his auditors joi

sked tw

ould have bough

uppose I was easy. Hurry never yet made a good bargain. But

uire Ellis. "Utter and complet

llis, to run at the firs

ner up and down. "Say th

nto your ethics somewhere that you ought to stick by her until the new captai

ou're not quite as young as I thought you

t a y

ha

o be editorial manager. You se

opinion of amat

to do the best y

to-morrow to t

rig

ane which he had picked up p

hose hundred drinks, e

postponed," re

ake amends. Mr. Sterne, the 'Clarion' is to print a fu

erne, slavishly respons

o that you'll make a fool of yo

e paper by rightin

t. It isn't a

t that this attack was made because m

. "A newspaper's got to look out for its

nswer my

I suppose

ackmailing scheme to get the Certi

ing?" repeated Sterne

atent medicines don't. It's a sort of fash

h is all this

is progenitor's extensive business interests. "Might as well know sooner as later," dec

he Neverfa

e does business under. Every other paper in to

of busine

's the ad. in this

er oblong of type, vaguely sensing in its covert promises the

ing is," said he, "the

y," chirp

l that decen

ful friend, I do not. W

hands as one offering fealty, "wouldn't it be just as well to prefac

amount to an announced rev

they had recognized in the intruder a flash of that mysterious sense vaguely known as "the newspaper instinct

ct," sa

est for the present.

perhaps thirty, with a begrimed and handsome

to Sterne in a slightly foreign

ragraph

editorial guyin

Harrington Surtaine. Mr. Surtaine, this is

om one to the other. "Ah," he said presently. "So i

Yet the smile which accompanied it was s

ew owner of the 'Clari

," said Veltman quietly.

emarked Hal. "But what

e balance he'd make his mark. But he's a sort of melancholiac. Ill-hea

to-morrow," said Hal. "I'm for home and slee

Sterne. "If t

ly. Good

e big ground-floor library where, as the

want a retrac

Clarion'

es

oad runs rocky," said the s

oving a few of the rocks

e editor?" Dr. Surt

some such notion in

xercise. Did

e had

'Clarion' I'd want six-inch armor-plate and

t the

down town to do that. I

,' presses, plant, circulation, franchise, good

What

lly; "mainly because I lo

pretty heavy

al son hasn't got anything on me, Dad, when it comes to

g to do with it, n

've bought

oulders. "That's the kind of thing I like to hear, and in the kind of way

you just the same:

lay it alo

n I make a c

ng behind money to build up a newspaper. An

tion enough, if it com

rspiration that makes a business go. Are

There's a lot f

ng. Want some advic

surely d

of public interests are good enough to talk about on the editorial page. Gives a paper a following, that kind of guff does. But the duty of a newspaper is the duty of any other bus

better paper t

mean the right thing by 'better.' Better for the pe

ders, yo

have circulation, of course, to get the advertising. But remember this, always: circulation is

the business to

od circulation. And that lets it out. It can't get th

can't

sn't treat the busin

lways look after th

ng to be the friend of the poor and all that slush, and the better class of business won't stand for it. Once a paper gets yellow, it has to keep on. Otherwise it loses what circulation it's got. No adve

ntend to make th

et me an advertiser? Is that going to lose me an advertiser?' Be on the lookout to do your advertisers favors. They appreciate little things like special notices and seeing their names in print, in personals, and that kind of thing. And keep the paper optimistic. Don't knock. Boost. Business men warm

ad been walking up and down, enlivening, with swinging arms, the chief points of

bout that ret

N

. When do you

morr

ave to-morr

r w

llards'. Mrs. Willard was partic

n't know

ve house in town. A cut above me, I can tell

o," declared hi

'm not ambitious socially. I told you some folks don't like the busines

ir. But I shan't find much time for

" laughed his father. "Well, I'm

ssioned declaration of faith did battle for the upper hand in his formulating professional standards. The Doctor's theory was the clean-cut, comprehensible, and plausible one. But something within Hal re