e had been coldly logical. Impulsive humanity always distrusts
impulsiveness in others. Leaders, therefore, always call them carefully
considered plans.

In all irreligious countries, as Hendrik Rutgers, astutely arguing
backward, told himself, the people who buy, sell, and vote are alive
only to To-day and therefore dare not take heed of the Hereafter. This
has exalted _news_ to the dignity of a sacred commandment.

In such communities success is necessarily a matter of skilful
publicity.

Who is the greatest of all press agents, working while you sleep and
even when you blunder?

The People!

The front page of the newspaper is therefore the arena of to-day!

To live in that page, all you have to do is to become News.

Once you become News all the king-making reporters of all the
nation-making newspapers become your press agents. The public does the
rest and pays all salaries.

Thrilled by his discovery, Hendrik called Max Onthemaker to one side
and, with the air of a man risking one hundred and two millions of cash,
said to him: "I have decided to make you chief counsel of my society.
Your services will entitle you to represent me."

Never had man been so lavishly overpaid for breathing since the dawn of
historical time. Hendrik went on, still imperial in bounty:

"I have in mind some great things. Every one of them will be worth as
much space as the newspapers will give to this dinner. Do you see your
chance?"

"I can't live on newspaper articles," began Max, elated but dissembling.

"You can die without them. Chronic obscurity; acute starvation," said
Hendrik Rutgers in his clinical voice. "I not only do not propose to pay
you a cent, but I expect you to pay all necessary expenses out of your
privy purse without a murmur--unless said murmur is intended to express
your legal opinion and your gratitude. I shall give you an opportunity
to represent my society"--you would have sworn he was saying _my
regiment_--"in actions involving the most famous names in America."

"For instance?" asked M. Onthemaker, trying to speak skeptically, that
his eagerness might not show too plainly.

Hendrik Rutgers named six of the mightiest.

"You're on, Mr. Rutgers," said Max, enthusiastically. "Now, I think--"

"Wait!" interrupted Hendrik, coldly. "Never forget that I am not your
press agent. You are mine."

"There will be glory enough to go around," said Max Onthemaker in his
police-court voice. "When do we begin?"