kind of thing to hold its
circulation; but it could be depended upon to be "right" when the pinch
came. Marrineal would see to that.

Since the episode of the killed proof, Marrineal had pursued a hands-off
policy with regard to the editorial page. The labor editorials suited
him admirably. They were daily winning back to the paper the support of
Marrineal's pet "common people" who had been alienated by its course in
the strike, for McClintick and other leaders had been sedulously
spreading the story of the rejected strikers' advertisement. But, it
appeared, Marrineal's estimate of the public's memory was correct: "They
never remember." Banneker's skillful and vehement preachments against
Wall Street, money domination of the masses, and the like, went far to
wipe out the inherent anti-labor record of the paper and its owner.
Hardly a day passed that some working-man's union or club did not pass
resolutions of confidence and esteem for Tertius C. Marrineal and The
Patriot. It amused Marrineal almost as much as it gratified him. As a
political asset it was invaluable. His one cause of complaint against
the editorial page was that it would not attack Judge Enderby, except on
general political or economic principles. And the forte of The Patriot
in attack did not consist in polite and amenable forensics. Its readers
were accustomed to the methods of the prize-ring rather than the
debating platform. However, Marrineal made up for his editorial writer's
lukewarmness, by the vigor of his own attacks upon Enderby. For, by
early summer, it became evident that the nomination (and probable
election) lay between these two opponents. Enderby was organizing a
strong campaign. So competent and unbiased an observer of political
events as Russell Edmonds, now on The Sphere, believed that Marrineal
would be beaten. Shrewd, notwithstanding his egotism, Marrineal
entertained a growing dread of this outcome himself. Through roundabout
channels, he let his chief editorial writer understand that, when the
final onset was timed, The Patriot's editorial page would be expected to
lead the charge with the "spear that knows no brother." Banneker would
appreciate that his own interests, almost as much as his chief's, were
committed to the overthrow of Willis Enderby.

It was not a happy time for the Editor of The Patriot.

Happiness promised for the near future, however. Wearied of chasing a
phantom hope of health from spot to spot, the elder Mr