d Harley coolly.

"Colonel!" he said, "I'm always grateful for good news, but I don't take
it as a favour. If it comes to the pinch I can write my newspaper all by
myself."

Harley changed countenance and his tone changed too.

"It's in the interest of justice," he said, "and it will be sure to
attract attention at the same time."

"I imagine that it must be in the interest of justice when you and Mr.
Redfield take so much trouble to secure its publication," said Winthrop;
"and I imagine that I'm not risking much when I also say that you are
the brilliant author who has written the little piece."

"It's this," said Harley. "It's about a man who has been paying too
ardent attentions to a married woman--no names given, of course; he is a
captain, a young man who is here on leave, and she is the wife of a
general who is at the front and can't look after his own honour. Gossip
says, too, that the captain has been concerned in something else that
will bring him up with a jerk if the Government hears of it. It's all
written out here. Oh, it will make a fine stir!"

Prescott half rose from his seat, but sank back and remained quiet.
Again he imitated the Secretary's example of self-repression and waited
to see what Winthrop would do. General Wood trimmed off a shaving so
long that it coiled all the way around his wrist. Then he took it off
carefully, dropped it on the floor with the others, and at once went to
work whittling a new one.

"Let's see the article," said Winthrop.

Harley handed it to him and he read it carefully.

"A fine piece of work," he said; "who wrote it--you or Redfield?"

"Oh, we did it together," replied Harley with a smile of appreciation.

Redfield uttered a denial, but it was too late.

"A fine piece of work," repeated Winthrop, "admirably adapted to the
kindling of fires. Unfortunately my fire is already kindled, but it can
help on the good cause."

With that he cast the paper into the stove.

Harley uttered an oath.

"What do you mean?" he cried.

"I mean that you can't use my paper to gratify your private revenge. If
you want to do that sort of thing you must get a newspaper of your own."

"I think you are infernally impertinent."

"And I think, Vincent Harley, that you are a damned fool. You want a
duel with the man about whom you've written this card, but for excellent
reasons he will decline to meet you. Still I hate to see a man who is
looking for a fight go disappointed, a