ructed them to report for duty earlier than usual Monday morning.

"We'll probably break the story Monday," said P. Q. "We'll shoot
everything we have: Gallant's story of the framed raid on the Spring
street bookmakers, how the 'Gink' regulated crime to give Gibson a
reputation; the affidavits of 'Big Jim' Hatch and his wife and give it
the finishing touch with Benton's photograph. Of course, we'll have
Smith's verbatim report. Arrange with him to have it ready for us
without fail by seven o'clock Monday morning. One of you get an
affidavit from Murphy, telling his whole story. You've blown the lid off
things this time, all right, boys."

Murphy left them before they telephoned to P. Q., so it was impossible
for them to arrange with him to meet one of them before Monday. They
agreed that John should find Murphy and obtain his affidavit in order
that it would be ready for publication Monday.

The elation John felt as a newspaper reporter in having aided in
obtaining the evidence for the exposure of the Cummings-Gibson plot
changed to regret when he thought of how it would affect Consuello.
Could she, would she remember and follow out her promise to think of him
as having done what he believed was his duty? Would she refuse to
believe the truth about Gibson or would she, in the bitterness of
disillusionment, blame those who brought about the exposure? He pictured
her beside her window of red geraniums, lifting tear-dimmed eyes to her
"green and friendly hill" and he was unhappy in conjecturing upon her
broken heart.

His mother's call to him that breakfast was waiting roused him from his
reverie. He had never told Mrs. Gallant that Consuello was Gibson's
fiancee; in fact, Consuello's name had never been mentioned between them
since the night that Mrs. Gallant had displayed her antipathy for her.
He realized also that his mother would not be able to comprehend why
Consuello met him in Gibson's absence and would probably consider it an
unforgivable breach of etiquette.

At breakfast he told his mother of his adventure of the previous night,
minimizing the dangers of the exploit to forestall her inevitable
admonition for him to avoid risks of all kinds.

"It's a big thing for me," he said, enthusiastically. "I was promised
more salary and a contract if it went through. Of course, Brennan and
P. Q. and Murphy deserve most of the credit, but I helped them."

"What will become of this man Gibson?" Mrs. Gallant asked.