"Sit down, Mr. Petticord. Glad to meet you," I added, with lie number one. "Thank you," he said, seating himself. "Match about you?" I found a match for him, and lighting the stub of a cigar, he said "Thanks," crossed his legs and hooked his thumbs in the arm-holes of his "vest." "How do you like our town?" he asked. "Charming place," I answered. "Used to be, but hard times hit it a crack and it's been staggering ever since. Had two banks--one of them failed. Tough, I tell you, but we'll come out all right. Just heard of your deal. Ought to make the thing pay, I should think. Got to spend some little money, of course. By the way, is old man Talcom interested in it?" "Well, only as a friend," I answered, with lie number two. "I heard he was. Always was a sort of a theatrical fellow." "He is a gentleman, if that's what you mean." "Yes, in a way," he drawled. "Oh, I know him." "Then, Sir, you know one of the most generous of men." "Yes, generous in a way. Pretty keen, though--he's not throwing anything over his shoulder this year, and he didn't last year either, for that matter." "I didn't know," said I, "that throwing a thing over one's shoulder was esteemed as an example of generosity." He rolled his cigar about between his fiery lips. "I take it that you know what I mean," he replied. "I mean that Brother Giles ain't giving anything away without cause." "Who is?" I asked, and I looked at him hard, but, in the vernacular of the neighborhood, I did not "faze" him. "In general, nobody; and in particular, not Brother Giles. Well, it's all right. Glad he ain't interested financially. Presume, however, he advanced you the necessary money." "Pardon me, but if he did it doesn't concern you." "Oh, it's all right; no business of mine except as a matter of news." "But what doesn't concern the public is not news," I replied. "No, that's a fact, but then, there comes up a difference of opinion as to what does concern the public." He paused for a few moments and then continued: "Thought I'd step over and see if I could get an ad from you. Do all my own work in that line; do all the editorials and write most of the local leaders. It keeps me busy, but I'm getting out the best paper the city ever had. And my ad rates are not high when the circulation is considered." "I shall give you an advertisement later on," said I, "but just at present there could be no object in it. It's out of season and there's nothing to advertise." "But you'll want a write-up announcing the change of management. The people will be interested in it, you know." "Yes, but doesn't that very fact make it a piece of legitimate news?" "Well, yes, in a way. But you know I can't afford to print news for nothing. I'm not printing news for my health, you know. Write you up in good shape for ten dollars."