"It was a coupon that entitled anybody who held it to answer the question and get ten thousand dollars. It was part of a ticket for which the holder paid twenty-five cents to feed a starving fellow-being. But what I wish you to do is to assure the reporters that it was a legitimate question. The word is _Anima_." "I knew it." "Because you use it every day." "But your condition--" "New York's condition, your Eminence," corrected H. R., politely. "I said the synonym, _soul_, would answer. Nobody won the ten thousand dollars. New York will cudgel its brains because it did not win the ten thousand dollars. In searching for the missing word it may find something more precious--the missing _soul_." "Your way is not our way, but perhaps--" The Cardinal was silent, his kindly eyes meditatively bent on H. R. "The reporters, your Eminence--" began H. R., apologetically. "Ah yes!" And the white-haired prelate accompanied H. R. to the room where the reporters were waiting. "I have heard Mr. Rutgers's question. The word of five letters beginning with an 'A' I think answers it, from his point of view, which is not unreasonable. I cannot say that the inability to guess proves the non-possession of brains--" "The Cardinal knew at once," put in H. R. "But that nobody should have guessed is astonishing." "They were not all Christians," explained H. R. "What is the answer?" asked a reporter. "A word of five letters beginning with 'A,'" said H. R. "Can't we publish it?" "It is our secret now. New York is very rich. When it discovers that one word--or its synonym of four letters--it will be infinitely richer in every way." The reporters brightened up. They saw columns and columns of guesses. But the Cardinal looked thoughtful. Then he said to H. R.: "Come and see me again." "Thank you. I will, your Eminence." The Cardinal bowed his head gravely and H. R. and the newspaper men left. "Are you a Catholic?" the _World_ man asked. "No," answered H. R., doubtfully. "All roads lead to Rome," interrupted Lubin, with a sneer. "Excepting one, Lubin," said H. R., pleasantly. "Keep on going, my boy. It's nice and warm there." XXV The newspapers did nobly. Too many prominent names were involved for them not to print the news. There was an opportunity for using real humor and impressive statistics in describing the new labor-saving machinery. The marvelous efficiency of H. R. as a practical philanthropist, demonstrated by his elimination of people who had money with which to buy food, and the simple but amazing efficacy of his Thirst-Detector raised the story to the realm of pure literature.