run out the appearance
of their ads lends the _Kicker_ a certain moral support--the little
fellows don't know that they are not paid for and it draws their
business."

"We don't care for that kind of business," smiled Hollis; "we're going
to run a real newspaper. We're going to get paid ads!"

"I hope so," hesitatingly replied Potter.

"Of course you do," laughed Hollis; "but whether we get paid ads or not
this newspaper is coming out regularly and on time. Furthermore, we're
going to cut down on this plate stuff; we don't want a paper filled with
stale articles on snakes, antedated ocean disasters, Egyptian monoliths,
and the latest style in opera hats. We'll fill the paper with local
news--we'll ginger things up a little. You are pretty well acquainted
here--I'll leave the local items to you. What town near here compares
with Dry Bottom in size?"

"There's Lazette," returned Potter; "over in Colfax County."

"How far from here?"

"Eighty miles."

"Got a newspaper?"

"Yes; the _Eagle_."

"Bully! Step on the _Eagle's_ toes. Make the _Eagle_ scream.
Get into an argument with it about something--anything. Tell Lazette
that as a town it's forty miles behind Dry Bottom. That will stir up
public spirit and boom our subscription list. You see, Potter, civic
pride is a big asset to a newspaper. We'll start a row right off the
reel. Furthermore, we're going to have some telegraph news. I'll make
arrangements for that to-day."

Hollis's enthusiasm was infectious; a flash of spirit lighted up
Potter's eyes as he rose from his chair. "I'm going to set up the head
for the first page," he said. "Probably you'll want a slogan; that sort
of thing is the style out here."

"We'll have one," returned Hollis briskly. "Set this in triple leads:
_'We Herald the Coming of the Law! The Kicker is Here to Stay!'_"

"Good!" declared Potter. He went into the composing room and Hollis saw
his fine old head bent over a type case. Hollis turned to his desk.

He sat there long, his tall, lithe body slack, grim, serious lines in
his lean face. He had thought of his conversation with Judge Graney
concerning ambition--his ambition, the picture upon which his mind had
dwelt many times. A little frame printing office in the West was not one
of its features. He sighed with resignation and began methodically to
look over the papers in the desk, finding many things to interest him.
He discovered that in spite of his father's one great fault