vast trough of country air in the heart of the city."

As he entered the office Howard looked appealingly and apologetically at
the boy on guard at the railing and braced himself to receive the sneering
frown of the City Editor and to bear the covert smiles of his fellow
reporters. But he soon saw that no one had observed his mighty spring for a
foothold and his ludicrous miss and fall.

"Had anything in yet?" Kittredge inquired casually, late in the afternoon.

"I wrote a column and a half yesterday and I found two lines among the
City Jottings," replied Howard, reddening but laughing.

"The first story I wrote was cut to three lines but they got a libel suit
on it."




II.

THE CITY EDITOR RECONSIDERS.


At the end of six weeks, the City Editor called Howard up to the desk and
asked him to seat himself. He talked in a low tone so that the Assistant
City Editor, reading the newspapers at a nearby desk, could not hear.

"We like you, Mr. Howard." Mr. Bowring spoke slowly and with a carefulness
in selecting words that indicated embarrassment. "And we have been