magination, typifying the
reborn "Clarion." He saw it as a master-loom weaving fresh patterns, day
by day, into the fabric of the city's life and thought. That all might
view the process, he had it mounted high from the basement, behind a
broad plate-glass show window set in the front wall, a highly
unstrategic position, as McGuire Ellis pointed out.

"Suppose," said he, "a horse runs wild and makes a dive through that
window? Or a couple of bums get shooting at each other, and a stray
bullet comes whiffling through the glass and catches young Mr. Press in
his delikit insides. We're out of business for a week, maybe, mending
him up."

Shearson, however, was in favor of it. It suggested prosperity and
aroused public interest. On Hal's return from New York, the fat and
melancholious advertising manager had exhibited a somewhat mollified
pessimism.

"The Boston Store is coming back," he visited Hal's sanctum to announce.

"Why, that's John M. Gibbs's store, isn't it?"

"Sure."

"And he's E.M. Pierce's brother-in-law. I thought he'd stick by his
family in fighting the 'Clarion.'"

"Family is all right, but Grinder Gibbs is for business first and
everything else afterwards. Our rates look good to him, with the
circulation we're showing. And he knows we bring results. He's been
using us on the quiet for a little side issue of his own."

"What's that?"

"Some sewing-girls' employment thing. It's in the 'Classified'
department. Don't amount to much; but it's proved to him that the
'Clarion' ad does the business. I've been on his trail for two weeks. So
the store starts in Sunday with half-pages. They say Pierce is crazy
mad."

"No wonder."

"The best of it is that now the Retail Union won't fight us, as a body,
for taking up the Consumers' League fight. They can't very well, with
their second biggest store using the 'Clarion's' columns."

McGuire Ellis, too, was feeling quite cheerful over the matter.

"It shows that you can be independent and get away with it," he
declared, "if you get out an interesting enough paper. By the way,
that's a hot little story 'Kitty the Cutie' turned in on the Breen
girl's suicide."

"It was only attempted suicide, wasn't it?"

"The first time. She had a second trial at it day before yesterday and
turned the trick. You'll find Neal's copy on your desk. I held it for
you."

From out of a waiting heap of mail, proof, and manuscript, Hal selected
the sheets covered with Milly N