tell himself that it was really done
for her, to protect her name. But he could not tell her this. He knew
too well what the answer of that high and proud spirit of hers would be;
that if their anomalous relationship was hampering his freedom, dividing
his conscience, the only course of honor was for them to stop seeing
each other at no matter what cost of suffering; let Banneker resign, if
that were his rightful course, and tell The Searchlight to do its worst.
Yes; such would be Io's idea of playing the game. He could not force it.
He must argue with her, if at all, on the plea of expediency. And to her
forthright and uncompromising fearlessness, expediency was in itself the
poorest of expedients. At the last, there was her love for him to appeal
to. But would Io love where she could not trust?... He turned from that
thought.

As an alternative subject for consideration, Willis Enderby was hardly
more assuring and even more perplexing. True, Banneker owed no
explanation to him; but for his own satisfaction of mind he must have it
out with the lawyer. He had a profound admiration for Enderby and knew
that this was in a measure reciprocated by a patent and almost wistful
liking, curious in a person as reserved as Enderby. He cherished a vague
impression that somehow Enderby would understand. Or, at least, that he
would want to understand. Consequently he was not surprised when the
lawyer called him up and asked him to come that evening to the Enderby
house. He went at once to the point.

"Banneker, do you know anything of an advertisement by the striking
garment-workers, which The Patriot first accepted and afterward refused
to print?"

"Yes."

"Are you at liberty to tell me why?"

"In confidence."

"That is implied."

"Mr. Marrineal ordered it killed."

"Ah! It was Marrineal himself. The advocate of the Common People! The
friend of Labor!"

"Admirable campaign material," observed Banneker composedly, "if it were
possible to use it."

"Which, of course, it isn't; being confidential," Enderby capped the
thought. "I hear that Russell Edmonds has resigned."

"That is true."

"In consequence of the rejected advertisement?"

Banneker sat silent so long that his host began: "Perhaps I shouldn't
have asked that--"

"I'm going to tell you exactly what occurred," said Banneker quietly,
and outlined the episode of the editorial, suppressing, however,
Marrineal's covert threat as to Io and The Searchlight. "An