The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-11-02
10. 8


important, and no one in The Bugle
office wishes you to suffer for what you
have DONE Of course it is all in the
public interest.
"Of course, Of course, !" murmured
Hazel, looking down on the table.
"Well, have you all the documents
ready, SO that they can be published at
any timer"
"Quite ready" answered the man.
Every WE'LL, said the girl, with de-
cision. "Here is your $50. just count
the money and see that it is correct. /
took the envelope as it was handed to
me and have not examined the amount
myself.
She poured the sovereigns out on the
table, and Hazel, with trembling fin
gers, counted them out two by two.
''That is quite right, he said, rising
He went to drawer, unlocked it and
took out long blue envelope.
''There, he said, with sigh that
was almost gasp "There are the fig
ures and full explanation of them.
You will be very careful that my name
does not slip out in any way"
ooh, nol' said Miss Jennie, coolly
drawing forth the papers from their
covering. ''No one knows your name
except Mr.. Alder. Mr.. Hardwick and
myself, and can assure you that I
shall not mention your name to any
one."
The man had not the slightest sus-
picion that his visitor was not men,
ber of the staff of the paper he had been
negotiating with. She was SO thorough
ly self possessed and showed herself SO
familiar with all details that had been
discussed by Hazel and Alder that no
doubt had entered the clerks mind.
Miss Jennie placed the papers back
in their blue envelope and babe the
anxious Hazel goodby
Once more in the hanson, she ordered
the man to drive her to Charing Cross,
and when she was ten minutes away
from Rupert square she changed her
direction and desired him to take her
to the office Of The Evening Graphite,
where she found Mr.. Stoneham busy
with his leading article and impatiently
awaiting further details of the conspir-
acy he was to lay open before the public.
A glance at the papers Miss Baxter
brought to him showed Mr.. Stoneham
that he had at least got the worth Of
his $50. There would be futtering in
high places next day. He made arrange
ments before he left to have the paper
issued little earlier than usual, calcu-
lating his time with exactitude, SO that
rival sheets could not have the news in
their first edition. cribbed from The
Graphite, and yet the paper would be
ON the street, with the newsboys shout
ing, :" 'Orrible scandalp' before any
other evening sheet was visible. And
this was accomplished the following
day with precision that was admira-
BILE.
Mr.. Stoneham, with a craft worthy
Of all commendation, kept back from
the early edition small fraction of the
figures that were in his possession, SO
that he might print them in the SO
called fourth edition, and thus put upon
the second lot of contents bills sent out
in huge. startling black type, "Further
Revelations of the Board of Construc-
tion Scandal, and his scathing leading
article, in which he Indignantly de-
manded parliamentary inquiry into
the conduct of the board, was recog-
nized, even by the friends of that pub
lie body, to have seriously shaken conf
dence in it. And all the other papers
were filled with impotent anger.
Promptly at 5 o'clock that afternoon
a hanson containing Miss Jennie Bax-
ter drove up to the side entrance of The
Daily Bugle Office, and the young wom-
an once more accosted the Irish porter.
who again came out Of his den to re-
ceive her.
''Miss Baxter2" said the Irishman,
half by way of salutation and half by
way of inquiry.
eyes, said the girl
''Well, Mr.. Hardwick left strict or
ders with me that if ye came, or rather
that whin ye came, was to conduct
ye right up to his room at once
"Oh, that is very satisfactory, cried
Miss Jennie, ''and somewhat different
from the state of things yesterday"
The porter led the way to Mr.. Hard
wick's room and announced the visitor
"Ask her to come in, she heard the |
editor say, and the next instant the por-
ter left them alone together.
"Won't you sit down. Miss Baxteri"
said Mr.. Hardwick, with no trace of |
that anger in his voice which she had |
expected. 81 have been waiting for you.
You said you would be here at 8, and ! |
like punctuality. Without beating |
round the bush. suppose 1 may take |
1t for granted that The Evening Graph
ite is indebted to you for what it is
pleased to call the board of public con-
struction scandalS''
"Yes," said the young woman, seat
ing herself. II came up to tell you that
l procured for The Graphite that inter
esting bit of information.
$50 suppose. My colleague, Henry
Alder, saw Hazel this afternoon at the |
offices of the board. The good man
Hazel is panic stricken at the explosion
he has caused and is in very nervous
state of mind. more especially when he
learned that his document had gone to
an unexpected quarter. Fortunately for
him. the offices of the board are throng.
ed with journalists who want to get
frcm this man or the other
the exposure, and so the visit
Of Alder to Hazel was not likely to. be
noticed or commented upon. Hazel gave
a graphic description of the handsome
young woman who had so cleverly
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