When Henry Alder came in, and the secretary had disappeared, Miss Baxter
saw at once that she was in an unenviable situation, for it was quite
evident the three men were scarcely on speaking terms with each other.
Nothing causes such a state of tension in a newspaper office as the
missing of a piece of news that is important.

"Perhaps it would be better," suggested Hardwick, "if Miss Baxter would
repeat the conversation as she heard it."

"I don't see the use of that," said Mr. Hempstead. "There is only one
point at issue. Did Mr. Alder warn Mr. Hardwick that by delay he would
lose the publication of this report?"

"Hardly that," answered the girl. "As I remember it, he said, 'Isn't
there a danger that some other paper may get this?' Mr. Hardwick
replied, 'I don't think so. Not for three days, at least'; and then Mr.
Alder said, 'Very good,' or 'Very well,' or something like that."

"That quite tallies with my own remembrance," assented Hardwick. "I
admit I am to blame, but I decidedly say that I was not definitely
warned by Mr. Alder that the matter would be lost to us."

"I told you it would be lost if you delayed," cried Alder, with the
emphasis of an angry man, "and it _has_ been lost. I have been on the
track of this for two weeks, and it is very galling to have missed it at
the last moment through no fault of my own."

"Still," said Mr. Hempstead coldly, "your version of the conversation
does not quite agree with what Miss Baxter says."