ll less about railroad bills, and nothing at all about politics.
But if she did her best it might be better than nothing, and might at
least save Clifford his present hold.

With Patty, to decide was to act. She flew back to the reporters'
room, pounced on a pencil and tablet, and hurried off, her breath
coming quickly, and her eyes shining with excitement. It was quite a
long walk out to Mr. Reid's place and Patty was tired when she got
there, but her courage was not a whit abated. She mounted the steps
and rang the bell undauntedly.

"Can I see Mr.--Mr.--Mr.--" Patty paused for a moment in dismay. She
had forgotten the name. The maid who had come to the door looked her
over so superciliously that Patty flushed with indignation. "The
gentleman who is visiting Mr. Reid," she said crisply. "I can't
remember his name, but I've come to interview him on behalf of the
_Chronicle_. Is he in?"

"If you mean Mr. Reefer, he is," said the maid quite respectfully.
Evidently the _Chronicle_'s name carried weight in the Reid
establishment. "Please come into the library. I'll go and tell him."

Patty had just time to seat herself at the table, spread out her paper
imposingly, and assume a businesslike air when Mr. Reefer came in. He
was a tall, handsome old man with white hair, jet-black eyes, and a
mouth that made Patty hope she wouldn't stumble on any questions he
wouldn't want to answer. Patty knew she would waste her breath if she
did. A man with a mouth like that would never tell anything he didn't
want to tell.

"Good afternoon. What can I do for you, madam?" inquired Mr. Reefer
with the air and tone of a man who means to be courteous, but has no
time or information to waste.

Patty was almost overcome by the "Madam." For a moment, she quailed.
She couldn't ask that masculine sphinx questions! Then the thought of
her mother's pale, careworn face flashed across her mind, and all her
courage came back with an inspiriting rush. She bent forward to look
eagerly into Mr. Reefer's carved, granite face, and said with a frank
smile:

"I have come to interview you on behalf of the _Chronicle_ about the
railroad bill. It was my brother who had the assignment, but he has
missed his train and I have come in his place because, you see, it is
so important to us. So much depends on this assignment. Perhaps Mr.
Harmer will give Clifford a permanent place on the staff if he turns
in a good article about you. He is only handyman now. I