press with the utmost rigor
of the law, and said that he would give the matter prompt attention.
That day he had an interview with the editor of the Daily Spectrum;
which was satisfactory to both parties. The editor would have said that
Mavick behaved like a gentleman. The result of the interview appeared in
the newspaper of the following morning.

Mr. Mavick had requested that the offending reporter should be
cautioned; he was too wise to have further attention called to the
matter by demanding his dismissal. Accordingly the reporter was severely
reprimanded, and then promoted.

The editorial, which was written by Mr. Olin Brad, and was in his best
Macaulay style, began somewhat humorously by alluding to the curious
interest of the public in ancient history, citing Mr. Froude and
Mr. Carlyle, and the legend of Casper Hauser. It was true, gradually
approaching the case in point, that uncommon precautions had been taken
in the early years of the American heiress, and it was the romance of
the situation that had been laid before the readers of the Spectrum.
But there had been really no danger in our chivalrous, free American
society, and all these precautions were long a thing of the past (which
was not true). In short, with elaboration and great skill, and some
humor, the exaggerations of the former article were minimized, and put
in an airy and unsubstantial light. And then this friend of the people,
this exposer of abuses and champion of virtue, turned and justly scored
the sensational press for prying into the present life of one of the
first families in the country.

Incidentally, it was mentioned that the ladies of the family had before
this incident bespoken their passage for their annual visit to Europe,
and that this affair had not disturbed their arrangements (which also
was not true). This casual announcement was intended to draw away
attention from the Fifth Avenue house, and to notify the roughs that it
would be useless to lay any plans.

The country press, which had far and wide printed the interesting
story, softened it in accordance with the later development. Possibly
no intelligent person was deceived, but in the estimation of the mass
of the people the Spectrum increased its reputation for enterprise and
smartness and gave also an impression of its fairness. The manager,
told Mr. Brad that the increased sales of the two days permitted the
establishment to give him a vacation of two weeks on full pa