and keep the newspapers from printing that you were
fool enough to oppose us in our perfectly legal position. Bear in mind
that if you fight us you make us."

"No compromise!" said H. R., sternly.

"No, sir," answered Onthemaker, meekly. Then he hissed at MacAckus, "Do
as I tell you, you boob!"

Mr. MacAckus clearly realized that this was a conspiracy. That always
makes business men fear that they may lose money. The fear of that
always sharpens their wits. It comes from a lifetime's training.

It was all Mr. Josslyn's fault. This made Mr. MacAckus almost despair.
But he said, very kindly, to the reporters, "Gentlemen, will you all be
good enough to call at our office before you print anything?"

The reporters, very kindly also, told him they would.

The free sandwiches returned to Fifth Avenue.

It was an ovation!

Art again had triumphed!

Proudly, up and down, from Thirty-fourth to Forty-second and back on the
other side, they marched unhindered.

The reporters did justice to the story. Like all really big stories, it
was legitimate news. They had indeed suspected advertising until H. R.
refused to speak about himself.

"All you please about my poor sandwiches, but not one word about me. I
have merely tried to rehabilitate the pariahs of the great mercantile
world by reviving the lost art of perambulating publicity. If I have
succeeded in making sandwiches free in New York, my work is done. Please
do not mention my name!" Then he leaned over confidentially and said,
very earnestly: "My family is conservative, and they hate to see the old
name in print. Don't use it, boys. Please! That's why I never sign more
than my initials!"

Ah, it was not alone modesty, but high social position and inherited
wealth that were responsible for "H. R." instead of the full name? And
the reporters? News is what is novel; also what is rare. H. R. was
therefore doubly news. The minds of the reporters did not work like
H. R.'s, but they arrived at the same point at the same time. This is
genius--on the part of the other man.

Keeping your mouth shut after it happens is a still higher form of
genius.

The newspapers gave him from two to six columns. Since the reporters
could not get anything about H. R. from H. R., they got everything from
Max Onthemaker, from the sandwich-men, from Andrew Barrett, and also
from their inner consciousness and psychological insight.

Nine newspapers; nine different heroes; one name--and in