Yes, I think so."

"Approachable?" asked Quirk.

"Sometimes," replied Desmond.

"What sort of forecast to-day--stormy?"

"Knock at his door, and let him answer for himself."

"Right. I will see you as I go out."

He went to the editor's door, and knocked violently. There was no
response, and he knocked again--more violently. Then the door opened
suddenly, and Cairns confronted him in a white fury.

"Now, what the dickens, sir," cried the editor, "brings your big
battering ram of a fist in contact with my door? Nature provides
earthquakes in these parts without your assistance, you noisy devil!"

"Who are you shouting at?" answered Quirk, in an equal fury. "Can't a
man tap gently----."

"Tap gently! What sort of a disturbance happens when you knock loudly?
What do you want with me?"

"Nothing now. I came to speak to a man, and I find a grizzly bear. Can't
a man who has come from the other side of creation call on a local
celebrity but he must have his nose snapped off? Good-day to you, sir!"

Cairns' sense of the humorous saved the situation. Recovering quickly
from his irritation, he burst into a roar of laughter. This, for the
moment, only added to the other man's indignation.

"Are you laughing at me, sir?" he asked.

"No, I was laughing at myself. I apologise to you; but you came at a
moment when I was hopelessly busy," replied Cairns.

Quirk's face relaxed into a grim smile. He regarded the thin, humorous
face of the editor attentively. Satisfied with his survey, he said:

"Well, I won't bother you just now. I know what it is to be in a tearing
hurry. I ran a newspaper myself in the States; you have to be here,
there, and everywhere to do that. Can't trust to anyone but yourself,
can you?"

"Not a living soul. But I will give you five minutes if you slip
inside."

Quirk entered the editor's office, and the door closed. In half an
hour's time it opened again, and the two men came out together.

"Five minutes!" laughed Quirk as he shook Cairns' hand at the door.

"You are such a fascinating man that the minutes have slipped away
unnoticed. You will be at my room to-night?"

"Of course I will. Hard at it, young man?" he asked, with a friendly nod
to Desmond.

"A twopenny-ha'penny report of a twopenny-ha'penny meeting," replied
Desmond, contemptuously.

"Make it spicy; touch it up with a little humour. That's the way to make
journalism attractive. Cover a commonplace incident with the mantle