The Argosy, January 1907 — page 48: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

230 THE ‘ Bert, I don’t want to borrow money —far less from you than from any one else just now. All I want on earth is to sell out that sheet and shake the dust of this town from my feet for good! Why, if I could nail the right kind of good thing and hand him over the paper—for anything between the two thousand I’m asking and the two cents I expect to get—I could cut loose and take that Chicago job a week from now. It—it won’t be open after that,” he ended mournfully. “Oh, perhaps “Til sell? Not on your life, my dear boy. That paper has been in the hands of too many brokers for too many months without ever an offer turning up to have one appear at this critical period.” ‘Nonsense! It’s always at such a time that luck changes,” the druggist smiled optimistically. “ Bosh! Not my kind of luck.” Robert’s head dropped to his hands once more, and he was silent. Albert rose and walked to the aisle behind the counter. He glanced down the empty store and sighed. Very much indeed would he have liked this unsuccessful elder brother to accept a thousand or so and continue his fight for ultimate standing in the com- munity. He knew, however, the utter hopelessness of Robert’s independent spirit accepting such a course, and some- thing of the depression began to settle upon himself. For the moment there seemed no hope of additional customers. He returned to his chair, and racked his brains for some tactful way of approaching the subject and forcing Robert to accept a small loan. He was forestalled, how- ever, by the editor. “ Bert, do you know why this paper hasn’t been a success? ”’ ‘“T. don’t know anything about jour- nalism, Bob,” the druggist replied evasively. “Then [ll give you a first lesson now. It’s because [I’ve been trying to give this town a clean sheet, which could be read everywhere without creating nausea! If I’d chosen to follow the lead of the 7zmes and hand out murders ) galore, with a smattering of all the mis-. ARGOSY. cellaneous indecency that could be gath- ered between the Atlantic and_ the Pacific, I’d have made money.” “T don’t doubt it.” “Or even if I’d fallen in with this muck-rake business—if I'd exposed something or somebody—if I’d_ even have started an excitement and organ- ized a committee to investigate your soda-fountain and ultimately place you in State prison—I’d gamble that circula- tion and advertisers would have doubled in a week. ‘That’s what this public wants, drat ’em!”’ Albert was silent. The simplest course on these occasions was to allow the storm to wear itself out. He took it in this imstance. But the editor could not remain speechless for long. His expression was changing now. His jaw hardened; his eyes lighted up with an ugly glitter and he clenched his fists. Wells Pb piveat=- toc envl t= he snarled suddenly. ‘T’ll pass ’em out a line of the choicest, the most odorifer- ous, muck that ever soiled a sheet! Tl give ‘em muck-rake till they can’t bear the sight even of the common or garden variety of rake! [’1]——” “Don’t talk rot,’’ Albert interrupted impatiently. “It’s not rot! I tell you!” He stood erect and thrust his hands in his pockets. He walked up and down the narrow space, breathing hard and fast. ‘Now, what am I going to investi- gate?”’ he demanded fiercely. ‘“‘ This trust, that trust, and the other trust have been raked over the coals and exposed. Reputations have been blackened by the thousand, concerns have been exposed by the million, markets spoiled by the billion zi It’s good, hard sense, ‘““And what the dickens does it al! amount to?” the druggist asked. ‘“ Cash!” shouted the editor. |. ‘‘ Cash for the son of a gun that’s doing the ex- posing—that’s what! Cash and advycr- tising, and that’s what I need! By crickey, Bert, I will borrow money from you now! In three days I’ll have every dead wall in this burg smeared with five-sheet posters and red ink and yel- low ornamentations. And they’ll in- (E00) .TOO AAG S (C@