"What is the 'Clarion' seeking to do?" asked Stensland, another of the committee. "Discover and print the news." "Well, it isn't news until it's printed," Hollenbeck pointed out comfortably. "And what's the use of printing that sort of thing, anyway? It does a lot of people a lot of harm; but I don't see how it can possibly do any one any good." "Oh, put things straight," said Stensland. "Here, Mr. Editor; you've stirred up a lot of trouble and lost a lot of advertising by it. Now, you start an epidemic scare and kill off the biggest retail business of the year, and you won't find an advertiser in town to stand by you. Is that plain?" "Plain coercion," said Hal. "Call it what you like," began the apostle of frankness, when Hollenbeck cut in on him. "No use getting excited," he said. "Let's hear Mr. Surtaine's views. What do you think ought to be done about the Rookeries?" In anticipation of some such question Hal had been in consultation with Dr. Elliot and the health officer that morning. "Open up the Rookeries to the health authorities and to private physicians other than Dr. De Vito. Call Tip O'Farrell's blockade off. Clean out and disinfect the tenements. If necessary, quarantine every building that's suspected." "Why, what do you think the disease is?" cried Hollenbeck, taken aback by the positiveness of Hal's speech. "Do _you_ tell _me_. You've come here to give directions." "Something in the nature of malaria," said Hollenbeck, recovering himself. "So there's no call for extreme measures. The Old Home Week Committee will look after the cleaning-up. As for quarantine, that would be a confession. And we want to do the thing as quietly as possible." "You've come to the wrong shop to buy quiet," said Hal mildly. "Now listen to _me_." Elias M. Pierce sat forward in his chair and fixed his stony gaze on Hal's face. "This is what you'll do with the 'Clarion.' You'll agree here and now to print nothing about this alleged epidemic." Hal turned upon him a silent but benign regard. The recollection of that contained smile lent an acid edge to the magnate's next speech. "You will further promise," continued Pierce, "to quit all your muckraking of the business interests and business men of this town." Still Hal smiled. "And you will publish to-morrow a full retraction of the article about my daughter and an ample apology for the attack upon me." The editorial expression did not change. "On those conditions," Pierce concluded, "I will withdraw the criminal proceedings against you, but not the civil suit. The indictment will be handed down to-morrow." "I'm ready for it." "Are you ready for this? We have two unbiased witnesses--unbiased, mind you--who will swear that the accident was Miss Cleary's own fault. And--" there was the hint of an evil smile on the thin lips, as they released the final words very slowly--"and Miss Cleary's own affidavit to that effect."