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

the work l am able to do, and so con-
slider myself bound to keep my eyes and
ears open on its behalf wherever am. f"
"Oh, don't want to censure you at
all, said Hardwick. 81 merely wish
to be certain how the thing was done.
AS said, am willing to take the
blame entirely on my own shoulders. /
don't think / should have made use of
information obtained in that way my
self. Still, am not yenturing to find
fault with you for doing SO. =
TO find fault with mel'' cried Miss
Jennie somewhat warmly. "That would
be the pot calling the kettle black in
deed. Why, what better were you? You
~ere bribing poor man to furnish you
with statistics which he was very re-
luctant to let you have. Yet you over
came his scruples with money. quite
willing that he should risk his liyei-
hood SO long as you got the news. II
you ask me. don't see very much diff
ference in our positions "
"Oh, quite SO, quite SO, answered
Hardwick soothingly. II have already
disclaimed the critical attitude. The
point wish to be sure of is this-you
overheard the conversation between AL
der and myself"
eyes, did"
"Would you be able to repeat it 2"
81 don't know that could repeat it
word for word, but could certainly
give the gist of it. .
"Would you have any objection I'd
telling gentleman whom ! shall call
In a moment, as nearly as possible.
what Alder said and what ! saidI
may add that the gentleman speak Of
is Mr.. Hampstead, and he is practically
the proprietor of this paper There has
arisen between Mr.. Alder and myself a
slight divergence Of memory, if may
call it SO, and it seems that you are the
only person who can settle the dispute. :"
81 am perfectly willing to tell what
| heard to anybody. /"
"Thank you. :"
Mr.. Hardwick pressed an electric
button, and his secretary came in from
another room.
would you ask Mr.. Hampstead to
step this way, if he Is in his room p
In few minutes Mr.. Hampstead en-
tered. bowed somewhat stifly toward
the lady, but froze up instantly when
he heard that she was the person who
had given the board of public construc-
tion scandal to The Evening Graphite.
81 have just this moment learned,
Mr.. Hampstead, that Miss Baxter was
in the adjoining room when Alder and
were talking over this matter She
heard the conversation. | have not
asked her to repeat it. but sent for you
at once. and she says she is willing to
answer any questions you may ask
''In that case. Mr.. Hardwick, would
it not be well to have Henry Alder
heref''
Certainly. if he is on the premises. ;"
Then. turning TO his secretary. he said:
"Would you find out if Mr.. Alder is in
his roomf Tell him Mr.. Hampstead
wishes to see him here. -
When Henry Alder came in and the
secretary had disappeared. Miss Baxter
saw at once that she was in an unen-
viahle situation. for it was quite evil
dent the three men were scarcely on
speaking terms with each other Moth
ing causes such state of tension in
newspaper Office as the missing of a
piece of news that is important
perhaps 1t would be BETTER" sug-
gested Hardwick. 'if Miss Baxter would
repeat the conversation as she heard it. I"
81 don't see the use of that, said
Mr.. Hampstead. ''There is only one
point at issue. Did Mr.. Alder warn Mr..
Hardwick that by delay he would lose
the publication of this report ~
Hardly that" answered the girl
''As remember it. he said. Isn't there
a danger that some other paper may get
this7' Mr.. Hardwick replied, 4 don't
think SO; not for three days. at least,
and then Mr.. Alder said. very good
or very well. or something like that "
''Tbat oaite tallies with my own re-
membrance, said Hardwick. 81 admit
! am to blame. but decidedly say that
was not definitely warned by Mr.. Al
der that the matter would be lost to us. "
II told You it would be lest if you
delayed" said Alder. .and it has been
lost. have been on the track of this
for two weeks. and it is very CALLING to
have missed it at the last moment
through no fault of my own.
''Still, said Mr.. Hampstead coldly,
"your version Of the conversation does