at's that you've written on it?"

"The mystic word 'Must.'"

"Does it mean that it must be printed?"

"Precisely, O Fountain of Intuition. It is one of the proud privileges
which an editor-in-chief has. Otherwise he does exactly what the city
desk or the advertising manager or the head proof-reader or the fourth
assistant office boy tells him. That's because he's new to his job and
everybody in the place knows it."

"Yet I don't think it would be easy for any one to make you do a thing
you really didn't want to do," she observed, regarding him thoughtfully.

"When you lift your eyebrows like that--"

"I thought you weren't to make pretty speeches to me in business hours,"
she reproached him.

"Such a stern and rock-bound partner! Very well. How does the paper suit
your tastes?"

"You've got an awfully funny society column."

"We strive to amuse. But I thought only people outside of society ever
read society columns--except to see if their names were there."

"I read _all_ the paper," she answered severely. "And I'd like to know
who Mrs. Wolf Tone Maher is."

"Ring up 'Information,'" he suggested.

"Don't be flippant. Also Mr. and Mrs. B. Kirschofer, and Miss Amelia
Sproule. All of which give teas in the society columns of the 'Clarion.'
_Or_ dances. _Or_ dinners. And I notice they're always sandwiched in
between the Willards or the Vanes or the Ellisons or the Pierces, or
some of our own crowd. I'm curious."

"So am I. Let's ask Wayne."

Accordingly the city editor was summoned and duly presented to Miss
Elliot. But when she put the question to him, he looked uncomfortable.
Like a good city editor, however, he defended his subordinate.

"It isn't the society reporter's fault," he said. "He knows those people
don't belong."

"How do they get in there, then?" asked Hal.

"Mr. Shearson's orders."

"Is Mr. Shearson the society editor?" asked Esme.

"No. He's the advertising manager."

"Forgive my stupidity, but what has the advertising manager to do with
social news?"

"A big heap lot," explained Wayne. "It's the most important feature of
the paper to him. Wolf Tone Maher is general manager of the Bee Hive
Department Store. We get all their advertising, and when Mrs. Maher
wants to see her name along with the 'swells,' as she would say, Mr.
Shearson is glad to oblige. B. Kirschofer is senior partner in the firm
of Kirschofer & Kraus, of the Bargain Emporium. Miss Sproule is the
daughter of Alexan