e delegation, hitherto silent,
spoke up.

He was the representative of McLean & Swazey, a college graduate of a
type then new, though now much commoner, in the developing profession of
advertising. He had read the peccant editorial with a genuine relish of
its charm and skill, and had justly estimated it for what it was, an
intellectual _jeu d'esprit_, the expression of a passing fancy for a
tempting subject, not of a policy to be further pursued.

"Enough has been said, I think, to define our position," said he. "All
that we need is some assurance that Mr. Banneker's wit and skill will
not be turned again to the profit of our competitors who, by the way, do
_not_ advertise in The Patriot."

Haring eagerly gave the assurance. He would have given assurance of
Banneker's head on a salver to be rid of these persecuting autocrats.
They withdrew, leaving behind an atmosphere of threat and disaster,
dark, inglorious clouds of which Haring trailed behind him when he
entered the office of the owner with his countenance of woe. His
postulate was that Mr. Marrineal should go to his marplot editor and
duly to him lay down the law; no more offending of the valuable
department-store advertisers. No; nor of any others. Or he, Haring
(greatly daring), would do it himself.

Beside the sweating and agonizing business manager, Marrineal looked
very cool and tolerant and mildly amused.

"If you did that, Mr. Haring, do you appreciate what the result would
be? We should have another editorial worse than the first, as soon as
Mr. Banneker could think it out. No; you leave this to me. I'll manage
it."

His management took the negative form of a profound silence upon the
explicit point. But on the following morning Banneker found upon his
desk a complete analytical table showing the advertising revenue of the
paper by classes, with a star over the department-store list, indicating
a dated withdrawal of twenty-two thousand dollars a year. The date was
of that day. Thus was Banneker enabled to figure out, by a simple
process, the loss to himself of any class of advertising, or even small
group in a class, dropping out of the paper. It was clever of Marrineal,
he admitted to himself, and, in a way, disappointing. His proffered gage
of battle had been refused, almost ignored. The issue was not to be
joined when he was ready, but when Marrineal was ready, and on
Marrineal's own ground. Very well, Banneker could be a good waiter.
Meantime h