I wouldn't be able to get the paper out today. I am not
going to tell you how hard I had to fight myself to resist the
temptation to drink. But you can see for yourself that I succeeded. The
_Kicker_ will be ready to go to press in an hour."

He felt Hollis's hand patting his shoulder approvingly and he continued,
a little hoarsely. "I took one drink at the Fashion last night after I
got through here. Then I came back and went to sleep. I am a light
sleeper and when some time after midnight I heard a sound at the door I
got up and peered out of the window. I saw Yuma tacking up the notice. I
suppose Dunlavey wrote it." He looked at Hollis with a whimsical
expression. "I suppose you are going to take the express?" he inquired.

"Tried to get you drunk, did they?" shaking his head negatively to
Potter's question, a smile on his face. "I can't understand that game,"
he continued, soberly. "Of course getting you drunk would have prevented
the appearance of the paper on scheduled time. But if they wanted to do
serious damage--of course I mean to the paper," he apologized with a
grim smile, "why didn't they come down here--some of them--during your
absence, and smash things up? That would have made the thing sure for
them."

Potter laughed mirthlessly. "Of course they could have done that," he
said; "it would have been easy--will be easy any time. But it wouldn't
be artistic, would be coarse in fact. Dunlavey doesn't do things that
way. If they smash your stuff, destroy your plant here, ruin your type
and press, and so forth, they invite sympathy in your behalf. But if
they prevent the appearance of your paper without having done any damage
to your plant they accomplish something--they expose you to ridicule.
And in this country ridicule is a potent weapon--even if it involves
nothing more serious than a drunken printer."

Hollis shook Potter's hand in silence. He had expected violence from
Dunlavey; long before this he had expected him to show his hand, to
attempt some covert and damaging action. And he had been prepared to
fight to get the _Kicker_ out. He had not expected subtlety from
Dunlavey.

He went to his desk and sat in the chair, looking out through the window
at the crowd that still lingered in front of the office. Most of the
faces wore grins. Plainly they were amused, but Hollis saw that the
amusement was of a grim sort. They appreciated the situation and enjoyed
its humor but felt the tragedy behind it. P