. Ban was having a hard fight for the
independence of his editorial page. His strongest hold on Marrineal was
Marrineal's fear of losing him. There were plenty of opportunities open
to a Banneker. Well, when Marrineal got Ban where he couldn't resign,
Ban's hold was gone. That was Marrineal's gun."

"Why couldn't he resign?" asked Io, white-lipped.

"If he quit The Patriot he could no longer hold Bussey, and The
Searchlight could print what it chose. You see?"

"I see," said Io, very low. "Oh, why couldn't I have seen before!"

"How could you, if Ban told you nothing?" reasoned Edmonds. "The blame
of the miserable business isn't yours. Sometimes I wonder if it's
anybody's; if the newspaper game isn't just too strong for us who try to
play it. As for The Searchlight, I've since got another hold on Bussey
which will keep him from making any trouble. That's what I wanted to
tell you."

"Oh, what does it matter! What does it matter!" she moaned. She crossed
to the window, laid her hot and white face against the cool glass,
pressed her hands in upon her temples, striving to think connectedly.
"Then whatever he did on The Patriot, whatever compromises he yielded to
or--or cowardices--" she winced at the words--"were done to save his
place; to save me."

"I'm afraid so," returned the other gently.

"Do you know what he's doing now?" she demanded.

"I understand he's back at Manzanita."

"He is. And from what I can make out," she added fiercely, "he is giving
up his life to guarding Miss Van Arsdale from breaking her heart, as she
will do, if she learns of Judge Enderby's death--Oh!" she cried, "I
didn't mean to say that! You must forget that there was anything said."

"No need. I know all that story," he said gravely. "That is what I
couldn't forgive in Ban. That he should have betrayed Miss Van Arsdale,
his oldest friend. That is the unpardonable treachery."

"To save me," said Io.

"Not even for that. He owed more to her than to you."

"I can't believe that he did it!" she wailed. "To use my letter to set
spies on Cousin Billy and ruin him--it isn't Ban. It isn't!"

"He did it, and, when it was too late, he tried to stop it."

"To stop it?" She looked her startled query at him. "How do you know
that?"

"Last week," explained Edmonds, "Judge Enderby's partner sent for me. He
had been going over some papers and had come upon a telegram from
Banneker urging Enderby not to leave without seeing him. The telegra