, on better thought, The Patriot
should give it. It would be choice rather than large: a hundred guests
or so; mainly journalistic, the flower of Park Row, with a sprinkling of
important politicians and financiers. The occasion? Why, the occasion
was pat to hand! The thousandth Banneker editorial to be published in
The Patriot, the date of which came early in the following month.

Had Ives himself come to Banneker with any such project, it would have
been curtly rejected. Ives kept in the background. The proposal came
from Marrineal, and in such form that for the recipient of the honor to
refuse it would have appeared impossibly churlish. Little though he
desired or liked such a function, Banneker accepted with a good grace,
and set himself to write an editorial, special to the event. Its title
was, "What Does Your Newspaper Mean to You?" headed with the quotation
from the Areopagitica: and he compressed into a single column all his
dreams and idealities of what a newspaper might be and mean to the
public which it sincerely served. Specially typed and embossed, it was
arranged as the dinner souvenir.

As the day drew near, Banneker had less and less taste for the ovation.
Forebodings had laid hold on his mind. Enderby had been back for five
days, and had taken no part whatever in the current political activity.
Conflicting rumors were in the air. The anti-Marrineal group was
obviously in a state of confusion and doubt: Marrineal's friends were
excited, uncertain, expectant.

For three days Banneker had had no letter from Io.

The first intimation of what had actually occurred came to him just
before he left the office to dress for the dinner in his honor. Willis
Enderby had formally withdrawn from the governorship contest. His
statement given out for publication in next morning's papers, was in the
office. Banneker sent for it. The reason given was formal and brief;
nervous breakdown; imperative orders from his physician. The whole thing
was grisly plain to Banneker, but he must have confirmation. He went to
the city editor. Had any reporter been sent to see Judge Enderby?

Yes: Dilson, one of the men frequently assigned to do Marrineal's and
Ives's special work had been sent to Enderby's on the previous day with
specific instructions to ask a single question: "When was the Judge
going to issue his formal withdrawal": Yes: that was the precise form of
the question: not, "Was he going to withdraw," but "When was he,"