ting to win away from
Whitewater a recently offered Carnegie library on the ground of its
superior fitness.

Finally there was the party.

The _Sentinel_ had always been a sound party organ. But _what_ a scoop!
And suppose it were possible to save the party at the expense of
its worst element? Suppose they raised the cry of reform and brought
Remington in on a full tide of public indignation?

Would Mike stand the gaff? If it were made worth his while. But what
about Noonan and Doolittle? So the editorial mind shuttled to and fro
amid the confused outpourings of the amazed young candidate, while with
eyes bright and considering as a rat's the editor followed Remington in
his pacings up and down the dusty, littered room.

Completely occupied with his own reactions, George's repudiation swept
on in an angry, rapid stream which, as it spent itself, began to give
place to the benumbing consciousness of a divided hearing.

Until this moment Remington had had a pleasant sense of the press as
a fine instrument upon which he had played with increasing mastery, a
trumpet upon which, as his mind filled with commendable purposes,
he could blow a very pretty tune,--a noble tune with now and then a
graceful flourish acceptable to the public ear. Now as he talked he
began to be aware of flatness, of squeaking keys....

"Naturally, Mr. Remington, I'll have to take this up with the business
management..." dry-lipped, the tune sputtered out. At this juncture the
born journalist awaked again in the editorial breast at the entrance of
Penfield Evans with his new item of Betty's interrupted message.

Two women shut up in a mysterious house among the trees! Oh, hot stuff,
indeed!

Under it George rallied, recovered a little of the candidate's manner.

"Understand," he insisted. "This goes in even if I have to pay for it at
advertising rates."

A swift pencil raced across the paper as Remington's partner swept him
off again to the police.

Betty's call had come a few minutes before ten. What had happened was
very simple.

The two women had been given breakfast, for which their hands had been
momentarily freed. When the bonds had been tied again it had been easy
for E. Eliot to hold her hands in such a position that she was left,
when their keeper withdrew, with a little freedom of movement.

By backing up to the knob she had been able to open a door into an
adjoining room, in which she had been able to make out a telephone on