tained smile lent an acid edge to the magnate's next speech.

"You will further promise," continued Pierce, "to quit all your
muckraking of the business interests and business men of this town."

Still Hal smiled.

"And you will publish to-morrow a full retraction of the article about
my daughter and an ample apology for the attack upon me."

The editorial expression did not change.

"On those conditions," Pierce concluded, "I will withdraw the criminal
proceedings against you, but not the civil suit. The indictment will be
handed down to-morrow."

"I'm ready for it."

"Are you ready for this? We have two unbiased witnesses--unbiased, mind
you--who will swear that the accident was Miss Cleary's own fault.
And--" there was the hint of an evil smile on the thin lips, as they
released the final words very slowly--"and Miss Cleary's own affidavit
to that effect."

For the moment the words seemed a jumble to Hal. Meaning, dire and
disastrous, informed them, as he repeated them to himself.
Providentially his telephone rang, giving him an excuse to go out. He
hurried over to McGuire Ellis.

"I'm afraid it's right, Boss," said the associate editor, after hearing
Hal's report.

"But how can it be? I saw the whole thing."

"E.M. Pierce is rich. The nurse is poor. That is, she has been poor.
Lately I've had a man keeping tabs on her. Since leaving the hospital,
she's moved into an expensive flat, and has splurged out into good
clothes. Whence the wherewithal?"

"Bribery!"

"Without a doubt."

"Then Pierce has got us."

"It looks so," admitted Ellis sorrowfully.

"But we can't give in," groaned Hal. "It means the end of the 'Clarion.'
What is there to do?"

"Play for time," advised the other. "Go back there with a stiff upper
lip and tell 'em you won't be bulldozed or hurried. Then we'll have a
council."

"Suppose they demand an answer."

"Refuse. See here, Hal. I know Pierce. He'd never give up his revenge,
for any good he could do to the cause of the city by holding off the
'Clarion' on this Old Home Week business if there weren't something
else. Pierce isn't built that way. That bargain offer is mighty
suspicious. There's a weak spot in his case somewhere. Hold him off, and
we'll hunt for it."

None could have guessed, from the young editor's bearing, on his return,
that he knew himself to be facing a crucial situation. With the utmost
nonchalance he insisted that he must have time for consideration.