E?"

"We don't wish it announced yet," said Sally, feebly, as Anthony was
silent.

"I call that pretty mean!" ejaculated Mr. Billings, after a pause.
"It's TRUE," he went on aggrievedly. "I landed it--every old woman in
town will be on to it in a few weeks--it's a corking job for me--every
one's wondering what Mr. Fox is doing here--and now you two hang back,
just because you've not had time to tell your friends! Aw, be sports,"
he said ingratiatingly. "PLEASE, Miss Sally! I'd do as much for you
two. You know I may not be able to make it at all, next year, if I
haven't a job! I can have it, can't I? I get it, don't I, Tony? What do
you two care--you've got what YOU want--"

"Oh, take your scoop!" half groaned young Anthony Fox.

Sally began to laugh, but it was curiously shaken laughter. Mr.
Billings wisely seized this moment for a rapid departure. Mr. Fox,
coming to the door a moment later, found the others silent on the steps.

"Now we are in for it!" said Sally, ruefully, as they made room for him
between them. "What shall we do? Jerry's got it for the Call--we
couldn't LIE about it! And, oh, we CAN'T have it in print to-morrow!
Can you--can't you stop it?"

"Too late now!" said young Anthony, with a bad attempt at unconcern.

"Tell me what happened," said his father.

The recent developments were rapidly reviewed, and then Sally, removing
herself and her wide-spreading ruffles to young Anthony's side of the
steps, so that she might from time to time give his hand an
affectionate and enlightening squeeze, confessed the deception of her
engagement to him, and, with her blue eyes very close to his, asked him
meekly to forgive her.

Young Anthony's forgiveness was a compound of boyish hurt and
undisguised relief. It is probable that at no moment of their
friendship had she seemed more dear to him.

"But--there's Jerry!" said Sally, suddenly, smitten with unpleasant
recollection in the midst of this harmonious readjustment. "He--he
heard, you know. And we can't deny THAT, and it means so much to him!
He'll have telephoned up to town by this time, and the Call will run it
anyway--newspaper editors are such beasts about those things!"

And again she and young Anthony drooped, and clung to each other's
hands.

"I have been thinking," said the other Anthony, slowly, "that I see a
way out of this. I HOPE I see one! I'd like--I'd like to discuss it
with Miss Sally. If you'll just step down to the--the chicken ya