wathed eye, and this was the
Carlow "Herald."

The first letter he had read to him was one from Fisbee stating that the
crippled forces left in charge had found themselves almost distraught in
their efforts to carry on the paper (as their chief might conclude for
himself on perusal of the issues of the first fortnight of his absence),
and they had made bold to avail themselves of the services of a young
relative of the writer's from a distant city--a capable journalist,
who had no other employment for the present, and who had accepted the
responsibilities of the "Herald" temporarily. There followed a note from
Parker, announcing that Mr. Fisbee's relative was a bird, and was the
kind to make the "Herald" hum. They hoped Mr. Harkless would approve
of their bespeaking the new hand on the sheet; the paper must have
suspended otherwise. Harkless, almost overcome by his surprise that
Fisbee possessed a relative, dictated a hearty and grateful indorsement
of their action, and, soon after, received a typewritten rejoinder,
somewhat complicated in the reading, because of the numerous type
errors and their corrections. The missive was signed "H. Fisbee," in
a strapping masculine hand that suggested six feet of enterprise and
muscle spattering ink on its shirt sleeves.

John groaned and fretted over the writhings of the "Herald's" headless
fortnight, but, perusing the issues produced under the domination of H.
Fisbee, he started now and then, and chuckled at some shrewd felicities
of management, or stared, puzzled, over an oddity, but came to a feeling
of vast relief; and, when the question of H. Fisbee's salary was settled
and the tenancy assured, he sank into a repose of mind. H. Fisbee might
be an eccentric fellow, but he knew his business, and, apparently,
he knew something of other business as well, for he wrote at length
concerning the Carlow oil fields, urging Harkless to take shares in Mr.
Watts's company while the stock was very low, two wells having been
sunk without satisfactory results. H. Fisbee explained with exceeding
technicality his reasons for believing that the third well would strike
oil.

But with his ease of mind regarding the "Herald," Harkless found himself
possessed by apathy. He fretted no longer to get back to Plattville.
With the prospect of return it seemed an emptiness glared at him from
hollow sockets, and the thought of the dreary routine he must follow
when he went back gave him the same faint