ly, and that's where your massive and penetrating intellect
will be right on deck. You won't have to play a part, either; if you
believe that his only chance of happiness on earth is to come home and
spend the rest of his life in State's prison, you can conscientiously
work him from that point of view. Seriously, Maxwell, I think this is a
great chance. If there's any of that money he speaks of we shall have
our pickings: and then as a mere scoop, if we get at Northwick at all,
whether we can coax him over the line or not, we will knock out the
fellow that fired the Ephesian dome so that he'll never come to time in
all eternity.

"I mean business, Maxwell; I haven't mentioned this to anybody but my
wife, yet; and if you don't go in with me, nobody shall. _I want you,
old boy, and I'm willing to pay for you._ If this thing goes through, I
shall be in a position to name my own place and price on the _Events_. I
expect to be managing editor before the year's out, and then I shall
secure the best talent as leading writer, which his name is Brice E.
Maxwell, and don't you forget it.

"Now, you think it over, Maxwell. There's no hurry. Take time. We've got
to wait till the Soc. Sci. Congress meets, anyway, and we've got to let
the professional pursuit die out. This letter of Northwick's will set a
lot of detectives after him, and if they can't find him, or can't work
him after they've found him, they'll get tired, and give him up for a
bad job. Then will be the time for the gifted amateur to step in and
show what a free and untrammelled press can do to punish vice and reward
virtue."

XVI.

Maxwell explained to Matt, as he had explained to Louise, that Pinney
was the reporter who had written up the Northwick case for _The Events_.
He said, after Matt had finished reading the letter, "I thought you
would like to know about this. I don't regard Pinney's claim on my
silence where you're concerned; in fact, I don't feel bound to him,
anyway."

"Thank you," said Matt. "Then I suppose his proposal doesn't tempt you?"

"Why, yes it does. But not as he imagines. I should like such an
adventure well enough, because it would give me a glimpse of life and
character that I should like to know something about. But the reporter
business and the detective business wouldn't attract me."

"No, I should suppose not," said Matt. "What sort of fellow, personally,
is this--Pinney?"

"Oh, he isn't bad. He is a regular type," said