Page:The Yellow Book - 06.djvu/233

 "Why," said Conant, rapping the paper fiercely, "did you let that get into the second edition? "

"It came up all right, and so I printed it," said Hammond coolly. "I didn't read it—I don't edit the paper."

"Well, then why didn't you set it in time for the first edition?"

"When you don't make me let all the 'comps' go the moment there is any danger of their getting paid for waiting time, perhaps I can have enough men about to set up late stuff to catch the first edition. And perhaps you d better spend a little money and get us a few more cases of agate."

"What did you print in agate for, anyway?" "It was marked agate, and your rule is for letters to be in agate anyhow. That copy came up very late. I had all I could do to get it into the paper. The proofs weren't read. There wasn't time."

Foiled here, Conant turned again upon Hunt. "When you saw what you did in the paper, why didn't you investigate? It don't make any difference whether you saw the whole of it or not. It was your business to see it. If you didn't, so much the worse for you. I won't have any such jokes played in my paper."

"There's no joke about it," said Hunt quietly. "I went to his room just as soon as I saw the notice in the paper. He'd done just what he said. He's dead."

"What's that?" cried Conant. "You're lying. Master hadn't the sand. This is a new trick."

"Well," retorted Hunt hotly, "if you don't believe it, you just wait till you read it in the afternoon papers, that's all. I tell you he's dead."

"Well, it s d—d lucky for him he is, that s all," said Conant. "That lets him out; but it don't help you a bit. Why didn't you