The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-07-15

them all.
"I've no time for such swell doings,"
he said. Besides, I've Just sent the
boy for a mug of coffee and half dozen
oysters. ! lunch here on my desk
every day"
"The very thing! Send him for
another mug and half-dozen I'm your
man. pulling up stool and spreading
out paper for a napkin Birkett was
delighted. They ate and told jokes
and smoked, while work waited. He
was no snob, yet he was well pleased
that the reporters should see how fa-
miliarly he treated the king of the mil
lionaires, seating him to oysters and
crackers, served on newspaper.
By the way, Birkett," said Pardee,
as he rose to 90, " | called on business.
But you newspaper men see so much
of life, it's like getting out into the
fresh air to cut business and talk to you
awhile. You've freshened me for all
dayl l want you to call your dogs off
of Frisbie. Somebody in the LigM had
a savage attack on him this morning.
Not you, of course. You knew he was
a personal friend of mine"
90 wrote the article, Mr.. Pardee."
Birkett's eyes kindled deiantly. 81
did not know he was your friend, but
he was going to add, " it would have
made no difference if | had,n but he
stopped. He could not insult his guest.
Il knew you did not know it. You
impress me as a man who is loyal to his
friends, and | have hoped you counted
me as one. OF course you must act
according to your honest convictions,
but if you could let up on Frsbie /
should be glad. He has been an un-
fortunate wretch, and hoped he would
have a chance now. If you will simply
be silent l shall hold it as a personal
favor to myself, Birkett."
He shook hands heartily and turned
back to drain the last drop from the mug.
"That's uncommonly fine coffee; it
was delicious snack, as we used to
call it in Virginia. Goodbye"
Birkett was from Virginia, as Par
dee well knew. His sense of hospi-
tality, of loyalty, was touched Pardee
was his friend, as he told Jane that
night; for, as usual, he laid the case
before her. She listened with keen at
tention.
GO He is your largest advertiser,
Willy?'
What has that to do with it?'
angrily. " If he had limited at that l
would look on it as bride, and
I'd hound Frisbie to the death. He
wouldn't dare to hint bride to me?"
No, no, dear; of course not" But
Jane was thoughtful. Hint or no hint,
if Pardee was provoked the advertising
would be withdrawn and that would be
a staggering blow to the Light, just
as it was beginning to pay its way.
Next spring, too, she had hoped to move
out of the alley.
You must do as you think right,
Willy. But Mr. Pardee has been
friendly, and this is your first chance of
returning his kindness. l don't see
why you need fly at the throat of Fris-
bic. You can't fight all the evils in the
world. And" she hesitated, for
Abby's sake and Joe's you oughtn't to
drive away your one influential friend"
Brkett was silent. He sent note,
however, to Pardee the next morning,
saying, " l will let up on Frisbie." But
he was in an intOlerably bad humOr for
days, as the men in the Office knew, to
their cost One of them accidentally
spoke to him of Pardee as " the head of
the whskey ring"
to strike him.
" Do you know that to be true?"
Certainly. Didn't you know it?"
"No. But it's too late, now" he
muttered, as he sat down to his desk.
There was good deal of laughing in
the newspaper offices at the cowed
bearing of the Light during the cleo
ton. Birkett, they said, had been
seen" The ring had bought him.
But this was not true.
After the election was over Pardee
became intimate, almost familiar, with
him. His advertising doubled. He
put Birkett in the way of one or two
lucky speculations on the street, by
which he cleared thousand or two.
He advised him to take tiny house in
a fashionable quarter, for the chill
dren's sake, you know" Mrs. Birk-
ett's best gown was now a brocade, in
which she was seen at one or two high
teas. A society column appeared in
the Light, and there was always a de-
scription of Mrs, Victor Pardee's cos
tunes at balls. Jane edited this col
umn, but she said nothing now about
Mammon. Abby was sent to the school
where the Pardee children were, and
Joe was preparing for Yale. There
was no talk of his roughing it now. In
a year or two there was rumor that
Pardee had put large sum into the
Light. 1t soon came out double
sheet, doubling its price. The facts
were that Birkett was on the eve of
bankruptcy, after his venture into
fashionable life, and Pardee came to
his relief and bought the paper.
" had better not continue here as
editor" said Birkett, stretching his
arms, as if they were weighed with
shackles. believe on my soul I'd
be happier if I'd 90 back to the village
in Virginia"
" Nonsense! You'd stihe in week.
No; you'll stay just where you are,
You're editor, remember. But III
well, I'll advise you as to the policy of
the paper. For your chidren's sake"
he added, when Birkett did not answer
Birkett stayed. The Light is said to
be the organ of the whiskey ring. 1t is
clever, strong paper, although it ca
tiers a good deal to the fashionable and
wealthy circles, and its gossip and sto-
| rieS have an unclean rank flavor lane