The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-11-02
aWhcs EazSs''

| " -Ss AAdz~-s
ssCertainly. Does he imagine that -
could get more than $50 elsewhere?"
"Oh, mol I'm sure the moray docsn I
come into +'s- ..;;is,.iior; at all
"Where do you ,9c,. ~. u,.-. al
his own ho;s u IN his Office at the
boaru
'Oh, in his own house, of courser'
| "You haven't seen the books, then 2''
| "No, but he has the accounts all
made out, tabulated beautifully, and
has written a very clear statement of
the whole transaction. You under
stand, of course, that there has been nc
| embezzlement. The accounts as whole
balance perfectly, and there isn't a
| penny of the public funds wrongly ap-
| propriated. All the board has done is
to juggle with figures so that each de-
| partment seems to have come out all
! right, whereas the truth is that some
departments have been carried on at a
great profit, while with others there has
| been loss. -
II am sorry money hasn't been
stolen,'' said the editor generously
"then we would have them on the hip.
| But, even as it is, The Bugle will make
a great sensation. What fear is that
the opposition press will seize on those
very inaccuracies, and thus try to throw
| doubt on the whole affair. Don't you
think you can persuade this person to
| let us have the information intact
| without the inclusion of those blunders
he seems to insist on? wouldn't mind
paying him a little more money, if that
is What he is after"
81 don't think that is his object The
truth is, the man is frightened and
| grows more and more SO as the day for
publication approaches. He is so anx-
ious about his position that he insisted
he was not to be paid by check, but
that should collect the money and
hand it over to him in sovereigns. -
swell, I'll tell you what to do, Al
der. We mustn't seem too eager. Let
the matter rest where it is until Mon
day. l suppose he expects you to call
upon him again today?'
"Yes; l told him should be there
at T."
''Don't go. and don't write any ex-
PLANTATION. Let him transfer little of
his anxiety to fear of losing the ESQ., !
want. if possible, to publish this infor-
nation with absolute accuracy.
'.Is there any danger, Mr.. Hardwick,
that some of the other papers may get
on the track of this p
''No, don't think SO; not for three
days anyway. If we appear too eager,
this man Hazel may refuse us altogeth-
err
every good, sir. .
Miss Baxter heard the editor stop in
his walk, and she heard the rustling Of
paper, as if the subordinate were gath
ering up some documents on which he
had been consulting his chief She was
panic stricken to think that either of
the men might come out and find her in
the position of an eavesdropper, SO with
great quietness she opened the door and
slipped out into the hall, going from
there to the entrance Of the ordinary
waiting room. in which she found, not
the 12 men that the porter had expati-
ated upon, but five. Evidently the 9TH
er seven had existed only in the porter 8
imagination or had become tired Of
waiting and had withdrawn. The five
looked up at her as she entered and sat
down on chair near the door. A mo-
ment later the door communicating
with the room she had quilted opened,
and clerk came in. He held two or
three slips of paper in his hand and
quickly dismissed all five of the waiting
men. The he turned to her.
"Has your name been sent in. mad
amG" the young man said to Miss Bax-
ter as she rose.
~ think not" answered the girl.
''Would you take my card to Mr.. Hard
wick and tell him 1 will detain him but
q few momentsf"
In short time the secretary reap
peared and held the door open for her.
Mr.. Hardwick was determined look
ing young man of about 35, with bull
let head and closely cropped black hair
He looked like stubborn. strong willed
man, and Miss Baxter's summing up of
him was that he had not the appear
ance of one who could be coaxed or
wheedled into doing anything he did
not wish to do. He held her card be-
tween his fingers and glanced from it to
her. then down to the card again.
GOOD afternoon, Mr. Hardwick''
began Miss Baxter. 81 don't know that
you have seen any of my work, but
have written good deal for some of
the evening papers and for some of the
magazines. -
Eyes. said Hardwick. who was
standing up preparatory to leaving his
Office and who had not asked the young
woman to sit down. "Your name is
familiar to me. You wrote some months
ago an account of a personal visit to
the German emperor. I forget now
where it appeared. ="
"Oh, yesl'' said Miss Baxter. "That
was written for The Summer Magazine
and was illustrated by photographs. "
''It struck me. continued Hardwick
without looking at her, 'that it was
On article written by person who had
never seen the German emperor, but
who had collected and assimilated ma
terial from whatever source presented
itself
The young woman. in nowise abash-
cd. laughed. but still the editor did not
look up
'Yes. she admitted. "that is pre-