The editor, pressman and janitor looked upon him in surprise and pity. "I appreciate your ambition," he said, more in sorrow than anger, "but I have become so attuned to starving alone that I don't think I could adjust myself to the shock of breaking my fast on you." Jap was unmoved. "My dad onct thought he'd be a editor, but he got married," he said calmly. "Sensible dad," commented the editor, with more truth than he dreamed. "I suppose that he had three meals a day, and a change of socks on Sunday." "But Ma had to get 'em," argued Jap. "I want to be a editor, and I am agoin' to stay." And stay he did. CHAPTER II "Run out and get a box of sardines," ordered the boss of the Washington press. "I've got a nickel. I can't let you starve. I lived three months on them--look at me!" Jap surveyed him apprehensively. "I'd hate to be so thin," he complained, "and I don't like sardines nor any fishes. My dad fed us them every day. Allus wanted to taste doughnuts. Can I buy them?" Ellis Hinton laughed shortly, and spun the nickel across the imposing stone. Jap caught it deftly. An hour later he appeared for work, smiling cheerfully. "Why the shiner?" queried Ellis, indicating a badly swollen and rapidly discoloring eye. "Kid called me red-top," said Jap bluntly. "Love o' gracious," Ellis exclaimed, "what is the shade?" "It's red," quoth Jap, "but it ain't his business. If I am agoin' to be a editor, nobody's goin' to get familiar with me." This was Jap's philosophy, and in less than a week he had mixed with every youth of fighting age in town. The office took on metropolitan airs because of the rush of indignant parents who thronged its portals. Ellis pacified some of the mothers, outtalked part of the fathers and thrashed the remainder. After he had mussed the outer office with "Judge" Bowers, and tipped the case over with the final effort that threw him, Jap said, solemnly surveying the wreck: "If I had a dad like you, I'd 'a' been the President some day." Ellis gazed ruefully into the mess of pi, and kicked absently at the hell-box. "I'll work all night," cried Jap eagerly. "I'll clean it up." "We'll have plenty of time," said Ellis gloomily. "We have to hit the road, kid. Judge Bowers owns the place. He has promised to set us out before morning." But luck came with Jap. It was Friday again, and Bowers's wife presented him with twins, his mother-in-law arrived, and his uncle inherited a farm. There was only one way for the news to be disseminated, and he came in with his truculent son and helped clean up, so that the _Herald_ could be issued on time. More than that, he made the boys shake hands, and concluded to put Bill to work in the _Herald_ office. After he had puffed noisily out, Ellis looked whimsically at Bill. "Are you going to board yourself out of what I am able to pay you?" he asked.