my
own hand. I have worked on newspapers."

"That so? It may be fortunate so far as this one instance is
concerned, but as a general thing I shouldn't recommend it. Newspaper
men have such loose methods, as a rule, that they never accomplish
much when they turn their attention to business."

Henry laughed, but the merchant had spoken with such seriousness that
he was not disposed to turn it off with a show of mirth. His face
remained thoughtful, and he said: "We had several newspaper men about
here, and not one of them amounted to anything. Brooks, your services
will not be needed. In fact, two of them were dishonest," he added,
when Brooks had quitted the room. "They were said to be good newspaper
men, too. One of them came with 'Journalist' printed on his card; had
solicited advertisements for nearly every paper in town. They were all
understood to be good solicitors."

"What," said Henry, "were they simply advertising solicitors?"

"Why, yes; and they were said to be good ones."

"But you must know, sir, that an advertising solicitor is not a
newspaper man. It makes me sick--I beg your pardon. But it does rile
me to hear that one of these fellows has called himself a newspaper
man. Of course there are honest and able men in that employment, but
they are not to be classed with men whose learning, judgment and
strong mental forces make a great newspaper."

So new a life sprang into his voice, and so strong a conviction
emphasized his manner, that Witherspoon, for the first time, looked on
him with a sort of admiration.

"Well, you seem to be loaded on this subject."

"Yes, but not offensively so, I hope. Now, give me the points you want
covered."

"All right; sit here."

Henry took Witherspoon's chair; the merchant walked up and down the
room. The points were agreed upon, and the writer was getting well
along with his work when Witherspoon suddenly paused in his walk and
said to some one outside: "Show him in here."

A pale and restless-looking young man with green neckwear entered the
room. "Now, sir," the merchant demanded somewhat sharply, "what do you
want with me? You have been here three or four times, I understand.
What do you want?"

"We are not alone," the young man answered, glancing at Henry.

"State your business or get out."

"Well, it's rather a delicate matter, sir, and I didn't want anything
to do with it, but we don't always have our own way, you know. Er--the
editor of the paper"--