hat brother of yours hasn't
turned up yet. The next time I give him an assignment, he'll manage to
be on hand in time to do it."

"Oh," cried Patty breathlessly, "please, Mr. Harmer, I have the
interview here. I thought perhaps I could do it in Clifford's place,
and I went out to Mr. Reid's and saw Mr. Reefer. He was very kind
and--"

"Mr. who?" fairly shouted Mr. Harmer.

"Mr. Reefer--Mr. Andrew Reefer. He told me to tell you that this
article contained all he knew or thought about the railroad bill
and--"

But Mr. Harmer was no longer listening. He had snatched the neatly
written sheets of Patty's report and was skimming over them with a
practised eye. Then Patty thought he must have gone crazy. He danced
around the office, waving the sheets in the air, and then he dashed
frantically up the stairs to the composing room.

Ten minutes later, he returned and shook the mystified Patty by the
hand.

"Patty, it's the biggest beat we've ever had! We've scooped not only
the _Ledger_, but every other newspaper in the country. How did you do
it? How did you ever beguile or bewitch Andrew Reefer into giving you
an interview?"

"Why," said Patty in utter bewilderment, "I just went out to Mr.
Reid's and asked for the gentleman who was visiting there--I'd
forgotten his name--and Mr. Reefer came down and I told him my
brother had been detailed to interview him on behalf of the
_Chronicle_ about the bill, and that Clifford had missed his train,
and wouldn't he let me interview him in his place and excuse my
inexperience--and he did."

"It wasn't Andrew Reefer I told Clifford to interview," laughed Mr.
Harmer. "It was John C. Keefe. I didn't know Reefer was in town, but
even if I had I wouldn't have thought it a particle of use to send a
man to him. He has never consented to be interviewed before on any
known subject, and he's been especially close-mouthed about this bill,
although men from all the big papers in the country have been after
him. He is notorious on that score. Why, Patty, it's the biggest
journalistic fish that has ever been landed in this office. Andrew
Reefer's opinion on the bill will have a tremendous influence. We'll
run the interview as a leader in a special edition that is under way
already. Of course, he must have been ready to give the information to
the public or nothing would have induced him to open his mouth. But to
think that we should be the first to get it! Patty, you're a brick!"

Clifford