hide off that
bill. Or better yet--you. Don't you feel like shooting off some big guns
at it?"

"Certainly, if you want me to. There is the farmers' convention, too.
And by the way, I'd like to leave as soon as you can fill my place."

West dropped scissors, pencil, and paper and stared at him with dismayed
amazement. "_Leave!_ Why, you are never thinking of _leaving_ me!"

"Yes. I'd--like to leave. I thought I ought to tell you this morning, so
that you can at once make your plans as to my successor."

"But my dear fellow! I can't let you _leave me!_ You've no idea how I
value your assistance, how I've come to lean and depend upon you at
every point. I never dreamed you were thinking of this. What's the
matter? What have you got on your mind?"

"I think," said Queed, unhappily, "that I should be better satisfied off
the paper than on it."

"Why, confound you--it's the money!" said West, with a sudden relieved
laugh. "Why didn't you tell me, old fellow? You're worth five times what
they're paying you--five times as much as I am for that matter--and I
can make the directors see it. Trust me to make them raise you to my
salary at the next meeting."

"Thank you--but no, my salary is quite satisfactory."

West frowned off into space, looking utterly bewildered. "Of course," he
said in a troubled voice, "you have a perfect right to resign without
saying a word. I haven't the smallest right to press you for an
explanation against your will. But--good Lord! Here we've worked
together side by side, day after day, for nearly a year, pretty good
friends, as I thought, and--well, it hurts a little to have you put on
your hat and walk out without a word. I wish you would tell me what's
wrong. There's nothing I wouldn't do, if I could, to fix it and keep
you."

The eyes of the two men met across the table, and it was Queed's that
faltered and fell.

"Well," he said, obviously embarrassed, "I find that I am out of
sympathy with the policy of the paper."

"Oh-h-ho!" said West, slowly and dubiously. "Do you mean my article on
the reformatory?"

"Yes--I do."

"Why, my dear fellow!"

West paused, his handsome eyes clouded, considering how best he might
put the matter to overcome most surely the singular scruples of his
assistant.

"Let's take it this way, old fellow. Suppose that my standpoint in that
article was diametrically wrong. I am sure I could convince you that it
was not, but admit, for argument's sake, that