The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-07

the article set up down at policy head quarters, where the guy that runs the press that prints the results of the draw | ings is a friend of mine" l The Tick Took was prevailed upon to give over entirely his important appoint lnent with Thomas Fortune Ryan and de- vote his time to the composition of the Granaday exposure. This was an under- taking of some magnitude, and in the ac- comphshment well worth the vast reward promised by Leary, for MT. Tick Tock's | literary style had it's limitations, and his orthography showed an individuality not | usually encouraged on a copy desk. How ever, the sensation was achieved a>er time, and with the sheets of puzzlingly scrawled characters Leary sought out his friend who did the printing at head quarters.
 Leary knew where to find this man. even if he didn't know the location of headquarters. As a matter of fact, not a writer in town could say where head quarters was. They turned their sheets over to a runner and the runners turned them over to a confidential man. and the confidential man took them to headquar- ters That was the safe plan. Leary didn't know any more than any other writer, but he know the printer, and the printer agreed to do the job, provided he shared in the shake down. Pm only getting $25 out of it" said l Leary, "and I got to give the guy that wrote the piece a s10-spot. I think s5 . ought to be right for you" An agree ment was reached on this basis. l He tolled the poolroom packer away | from the cracker bowl at the end of the bar and into corner of the rear room.
 Say, Granaday," he began, T got hold
 tt. trerht fn 1 hear about
 1 q bet it's going to cost me something, said Granady prophetically l Tt ain't going to cost you cent said Leary indignantly. 'I come to you as friend"
 "Oh behave," sneered the boss. | T got a pal that's a reporter for the papers," said Leary, overlooking the ill., suit, "and now and then he tells me about some of the articles he's writing up. Last night, as we was sitting in saloon, he shows me a proof print of piece his paper is going to publish tomorrow, and it's about your place." 1 "The h-l it isp' said Granady, much 1 interested. That's what it isl" said Leary. He | let me read it, and I must say it's an awful jolt he's thrown into you. When read it I says to him, Now, see here, 1 pal l says there aint nothing in put l ting a piece like this in the paper. What you want to pan good old Dan Granaday l for?' I says. There's guy that ain't got an enemy in the world says. Hes always going down in his jeans and help ing anybody that needs help I says. | Besides I says Granady sa friend of
 mine, and I wouldn't want to see him get any the worst of it. Be a good fel- low I says, and tear up that proof
 print
 But he says it can't be done. He says he aint got anything against you, per-
 sonally, but business is business and he's been piping off your game for weeks. 1 bet must have argued with him for two hours but I couldn't get him to say he'd stop the article from appearing. Finally, | I says, Well, do this much for good fellow. Let me take those proof prints
 around to Granaday, l says, and give him the chance to read them over. He s got that much coming to him. I says. So he says all right, but must let him have the proof prints back right away, because his paper has got to print the article In
 the morning. And so l brought the proofs
 around to let you see. I'll give you q
 chance to make any preparations yol
 want to ahead of time, and that's some-
 thing"
 Let's have a look at them," said Gran
 aday.
 Granaday wrote something on a piece
 of paper and folded it in an envelope. He
 rejoined Leary and handed him the en-
 velope.
 'I'n be much obliged to you if you'll
 give that to your friend" he said. He l tore up the proofs and threw the bits on the floor. 'I guess he won't need the
 proof prints,'' he said.
 Just as you say" said Leary under
 standingly, and hurried out He stopped
 in a dorway and tore open the envelope
 with nervous fingers in search for the
 century note But the note was of an
 other kind and read:
 If you or your friend ever show up
 around my place I'll furnish the coroner with an interesting item.'
 q guess I better stick to poke" re- | aaotad Mir cary sadly