hape," sucking the while at his
briar pipe. Such thoughts are not pleasant, but they must come to every
youth who aspires to make a success of life, and they will for a moment
damp his enthusiasm, unless he has the perception which tells him that
no two men's careers are alike, and that every man carries within
himself the qualities that make for success or failure. But Yardley may
not have thought himself a failure, and there's the rub.

When the editor arrived he showed no overweening interest in Henry, but
warmly commended him for the work he had done under the subeditor's eye,
and urged him to make the most of his opportunities, without telling him
how. Undoubtedly Winton had described the situation accurately to
Henry--Mr. Springthorpe's interest ended when he pocketed the premium.

Bertram, the chief reporter, proved to be a person with distinct family
resemblance to Trevor Smith, and was probably about twenty-eight years
of age. He shared the editor's weakness for looking upon the wine when
it is red, but always managed to get through the work required of him.
Without possessing qualities of the slightest distinction, he had
achieved a reputation in various newspaper offices as "a clever fellow
if he'd only keep straight."

This is, perhaps, not peculiar to journalism, and if we inquire into
the characters of many who are reputed to be exceptionally endowed, but
imperil their success by unsteady habits, we shall find that in most
cases their abilities are below the average of the steady plodder, who
is seldom described as clever, simply because the shadow of unsteadiness
never falls on his life as a background for the better display of such
qualities as he possesses. The fact is, that your "clever fellow if he'd
only keep sober" is a very ordinary fellow, whose ever-changing
employers are apt to over-estimate his abilities during a decent spell
of sobriety.

* * * * *

It is doubtful if it would be to the advantage of our story to dwell at
any length on the next few months of Henry's life. The newspaper office
in which he found himself was typical of hundreds in the English
provinces, no better nor worse. The existence of the _Guardian_ was one
constant struggle to increase a small circulation and add to the
advertising revenue of the paper. To the latter end the services of the
reporters were frequently required, and puffs of tradesmen had to be
written whenever there was a ch