“Came to advise you. Friendly advice.... I’m interested in this paper--er--from the viewpoint of a citizen and--er--financially. Start right, Miss Lee. Start right. Catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.... You commenced with vinegar. Nobody likes it. Can’t make a living with vinegar. To run a paper in Gibeon you must be diplomatic--diplomatic. Can’t expect me to support financially a paper which isn’t diplomatic, can you? Now can you?” “What do you mean by being diplomatic?” “Why--er taking advice--yes, taking advice.” “From whom?” His little eyes opened round as if in great astonishment. “From me,” he said. “People in Gibeon--er--repose great confidence in my judgment. Great confidence.” “What sort of advice?” “All sorts,” he said, “but principally about what you print about different things.... Now, I should have advised you against printing this young man’s letter.” “Would you have advised me against printing anything about the threatening note I found on my desk?” “Ah--sense of humor, miss. Boyish prank.... Jokers in Gibeon. Town’s full of ’em.... Best-natured folks in the world, but they love to joke and to talk. Love to talk better than to joke. Um!... Mountains out of molehills--that’s Gibeon’s specialty. Mean no harm, Lord love you, not a particle--but they’ll tell you _anything_. Not lying--exactly. Just talk.” “Is Sheriff Churchill’s disappearance just talk?” “Um!... Sheriff Churchill--to be sure. Disappeared. Um!... Gabble, gabble, gabble.” “Talk of murder is not gabble,” said Carmel. “Ugly word.... Shouldn’t use it. Makes me shiver.” He shivered like a gelatin dessert. “Forget such talk. My advice--straight from the heart.... Stirs things up--things best forgot. Best let rest for the sake of wife and children.... Paper can’t live here without my support. Can’t be done. Can’t conscientiously support a paper that stirs up things.” “Is that a threat, Mr. Fownes.” “Goodness, no! Gracious, no! Just want to help.... Kind heart, Miss Lee. Always think of me as a kind heart. Love to do things for folks.... Love to do things for _you_.” “Thank you, Mr. Fownes. You hold a chattel mortgage on this plant.” “Don’t think of it. Not a breath of worry--cancel it if you say so--cancel it this minute.” “In consideration of what?” “Why--you put it so sharplike, so direct. I wasn’t thinking of consideration. Just being friendly and helpful.... Public-spirited gift to Gibeon. Newspaper a wonderful benefit to a town--the right kind of a newspaper.” “That’s it, of course. The right kind of a newspaper. “Naturally you wouldn’t make so munificent a gift to the wrong kind of newspaper. Is this the right kind?” “It always has been,” said Mr. Fownes. “What made it the right kind?” “Your uncle--the former proprietor--relied on my advice. Consulted with me daily.... During many years his paper made few mistakes.”