The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-25
Our Daily $bort Story
GRAYSON.
BY H. BERNARD HILLIsoN.

Bf 1T. BERNARD H1LklsON.
 Copyright, 1905. By Daily Story Pub.
 Co)
 Cotton was to blame for it all There no doubt about that in the mind of anybody who knows all the details. If the miserable little whifit who occupies the city editors chair on The Palladium had not been so jealous-minded and vindictive he never would have sent Grayson with all his ignorance and ambition and ingenu- ousness into the den of thieves--and the scandal mover would have occurred and the party in all probability would hot have been defeated at the polls.
 Of course Cotton lost his job and SO did Bertram, the managing editor. and so did several others, but that did not prevent the defeat of the party and the loss Hundreds of thtssands to old Pelham. the owner of the paper.
 Grayson was just out of college. where he had stood equally high in studies and athletics. He was a thor ough believer in the value of college education for men in every day pur- suits and was thoroughly determined to avoid the rock upon which that idea has so often split--assumption of superiority. So he grabbed hold of the hot end of everything like an of- flee boy. saying cheerfully: You fellows have four years start of me in this sort of thing, so Pm only a freshie, but I reckon what I got in college may help some somtime."
 Cotton hated Grayson because he had been forced upon him by Bertram. It was only office politics. of course. and Cotton wanted to be the whole thing in the city room. But he grumbled about loading his stan down with dead ones," and then holding him responsible for results. But Bertram was college man himself and liked Grayson's looks and exercised his au- thority. t .tA
 What Grayson went through for the first few weeks was something fierce Had 1t not been for his grim determi- nation he would have slapped TCot- tons face and quit a dozen times. Bertram began to notice that Grayson wasn't getting any decent assign ments and called Cotton down several times.
 Then Cotton got mad and made his great mistake. Che afternoon he summoned half dozen of the best reporters he had, and with them Grayson.
 ''Do you know these stories the Clarion has ben printing about the AOhtOh Wot tUS ucW CIly nulls he said.
 All nodded acquiesence
 There may be something in it." he continued. Now I want some one of you fellows to get out and find out --get absolute proof, then go to Mackey and Rosenheim. the contrac- tors. who are doing the most of their work. and try to get them to show up certain memorandum they have from the mayor, authorizing some of the substitutions of material they are making and the difference in the character of the work. I have reason to believe there is such a memoran- dunn fin writing. Of course the mayor has. got "a string on a part of the swag, and on Mackey's influence with the heelers for next spring. Now this is delicate assignment-and may be dangerous, because the man doing it must act independently of the paper Of course. the mayor could shut old Pelham off in a minute. But if you go to the contractors and show that you have the proofs and say you have obtained them personally, and not by direction. of the Palladium, and propose to give the facts to the Re- form Alliance unless they can show some authority for their breach of contract, they may give up the secret memorandum in order to save them selves financially and let the mayor stand the brunt. But they are desper- ate men. and l will send no man on the assignment unless he volunteers" |"
 All six of us older reporters looked aghast at the idea. Every face re- flected the puzzled state of the mind above it. It was a fool idea from every standpoint. Even If the story could be procured. the paper dare not print it. And the contractors were known to be keen, daring, resolute and interruptions, men. Fl It would be worth ones life to attempt to force their lands in such a manner.
 Grayson, however, leaped to the bait and eagerly volunteered There was an expression of diabollcal satis- faction on Cotton's face as Grayson rushed out on his first important as- signment. Several of the older fel- lows who liked him, warned him, but to no avail.
 I had become particularly fond Of the boy and he told me from day to day of his progress. He certainly did work for 1t in a scientific and thor ough manner, going so far as to get a job as common laborer in order to see certain points of the structure