him. Though
only the barest facts were told there was a sob in the story.

"That ain't just how we handle vag suicides, but we'll let 'er go this
time," he commented.

It did not take Jeff long to learn how to cover a story to the
satisfaction of the city editor. He had only to be conventional,
sensational, and in general accurate as to his facts. He fraternized
with his fellow reporters at the City Hall, shared stories with them,
listened to the cheerful lies they told of their exploits, and lent them
money they generally forgot to return. They were a happy-go-lucky lot,
full of careless generosities and Bohemian tendencies. Often a week's
salary went at a single poker sitting. Most of them drank a good deal.

After a few months' experience Jeff discovered that while the gathering
of news tends to sharpen the wits it makes also for the superficial.
Alertness, cleverness, persistence, a nose for news, and a surface
accuracy were the chief qualities demanded of him by the office. He
had only to look around him to see that the profession was full of
keen-eyed, nimble-witted old-young men who had never attempted to
synthesize the life they were supposed to be recording and interpreting.
While at work they were always in a hurry, for to-day's news is
dead to-morrow. They wrote on the run, without time for thought or
reflection. Knowing beyond their years, the fruit of their wisdom was
cynicism. Their knowledge withered for lack of roots.

The tendency of the city desk and of copy readers is to reduce all
reporters to a dead level, but in spite of this Jeff managed to get
himself into his work. He brought to many stories a freshness, a point
of view, an optimism that began to be noticed. From the police run Jeff
drifted to other departments. He covered hotels, the court house, the
state house and general assignments.

At the end of a couple of years he was promoted to a desk position.
This did not suit him, and he went back to the more active work of the
street. In time he became known as a star man. From dramatics he went
to politics, special stories and feature work. The big assignments were
given him.

It was his duty to meet famous people and interview them. The chance to
get behind the scenes at the real inside story was given him. Because
of this many reputations were pricked like bubbles so far as he was
concerned. The mask of greatness was like the false faces children
wear to conceal their own. In the one or