Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1910 — THE FOURTH ESTATE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE FOURTH ESTATE

Novelized by

FREDERICK R. TOOMBS

From the Great Play of the Same Name by Joseph Medill Patterson and Harriet Ford. 0 0 COPYRIGHT. 1909. BY JOSEPH MEDILL PATTERSON AND HARRIET FORD

Chapter I—J udith Bartelmy, society woman, goes to the office of the Daily Advance to protest against a story which had severely criticised her father, a ’judge of the United States court. She discovers that the author of the article was Wheeler Brand, a brilliant young writer whom she had promised to marry. He refuses to cease attacking her father. ll—Judith discards her engagement ring. Dupuy, a lawyer, representing big advertisers, calls and demands Brand's discharge, as his clients are friends of Judge Bartelmy. 11l Brand is discharged by the managing editor, for the paper, long owned by an insurance' company, had been friendly to Michael Noian, who buys the paper, comes in the office and finds Dupuy to be an Old enemy of his. IV—Nolan calls for Brand and makes him managing editor. V—Brand tells Nolan and his socially ambitious family that the dishonest judge, Bartelmy, and his unsuspecting daughter have taken them up socially so as to try to induce Nolan not to. attack the judge in his newspaper. Vl—Dupuy aids Bartelmy in endeavoring to have Brand and the Advance avoid attacking the judge regarding a tricky -Opinion he has rendered in the, Lansing Iron case. ••Everyman has his price, even Brand,” says Dupuy. Vll—Nolan says if Brand will trap Bartelmy in the aet of offering him a bribe to keep silent that the Advance will print the story ift full. VUl—Bartelmy agrees to pay Brand $lO,000 to keep quiet about the Lansing Iron case. IX —Brand lays the trap for Bartelmy.

CHAPTER X. RAND hung up the telephone receiver with an anxious expression on his face. “Nolan 2l2sJ must keep away from this.” he muttered tensely. “Let him take a train or go to sleep or bury himself if he wants to. If Bartelmy or Dupuy gets hold of him after I’ve shown my hand there’ll be the merry d—l to pay, and if they find him they might succeed in coaxing— 1 wonder if Solan will 9tick; 1 wonder if Solan will stick.” he kept repeating over and over to himself. The poise of voices raised in indignation broke in upon him from the outer hall at his right. "Oh. that's a chestnut,” some one cried; “he’s always out, always when I come." The editor glanced around and saw Sylvester XoIaD leading in his-friend Powell, the poet. “You're not out. are you, old man?” asked young Nolan of Brand. “Who’s that fly duck that tried to keep me from coming ini'” “I’m sorry. Nolan; I’m very busy tonight, and you’ll have to excuse me. I’m vejy busy/’ “Brandy, old boy, I came in on business. Want to get a job for my friend Powell here. He's a poet." He dragged the wan eyed rhymestef up td Brand's desk. The editor looked Powell over. “We don't carry poets on the payrolls,” he grunted. “But just look at this One, Powow. let Mr. Brand see your ode to the opening of the Omaha exposition. He went in the competition with this.” Powell handed the poem to Brand. “And I see he came out with it,” •snorted the newspaper man. “Yes. sir/' agreed Powell faintly. “People ' haven't time for poetry,” commented Brand. . “That's what I've been trying to tell Powow,” put in Sylvester. "He was born after his time.” “How would you like to be a reporter?” asked the editor. Powell’s eyes gleamed with e sickly color that showed that he was enthused. “A reporter? Oh, yes, sir!” he said Brand took down the phone. “Hello’. Give me night city editor, please. Hello! That you? I’ve got a cub here named Powell. Please give him a week’s trial. Report to city editor.” “Where is he, sir?" asked Powell, bewildered. “You’re a reporter now. Find Out.” “Yes, sir.” He started toward the hall door. “Over here, Powow!" cried Sylvester, leading him in the opposite direction. -i v , Joe Dillon now added to the managing editor’s troubles by again coming into the office. "Thank you, Mr. Brand,” he began. “Could you spare me a little car fare?” Brand tossed him a quarter. “Never mind now.” be said. “Shy, Joe, go out with that cub tonight. It will give you something to think about, and you can show him as much in a night as he’d learn in a month alone. Mr. Dillon, allow me to present you to Mr. Sylvester Nolan. My. Dillon broke me into the business,” said the editor to the newspaper owner’s son. Sylvester drew a ponderous wad of bills from his pocket and offered the top one to the old “down and outer.” “You want to handle my friend Powow with gloves," advised Sytvester. “He’s just full of temperament.” The old newspaper man indignantly refused the money which young Nolan held out to him and plunged out of the office. : /. ~ v ' .. r ; .. The poet stood a mute witness to the proceedings. „

“Go after trim:” commanded Brand. “Thank you. sir.” and Powell darted frightenedly after Dillon. “Who is that old joker?” asked Sylvester of the editor. “He was the best reporter that the Advance: ever had," “What’s the matter with him?” “Booze.” “Too badt Well, a fellow ought to learn to control himself.” remarked Sylvester pompously. "Now, Brandy, old boy, 1 want to ask you just one more favor tonight, in reference to a • little actress friend of mine, Miss Guenevicri* MeKenzie." - “Oh—come—don’t”— “Run her picture in a prominent place, won’t you?” Sylvester handed Brand a photo. "Miss Gueneviere McKenzie. Don’t you know her? She’s in the second row at the Tyroll. and it’s a darn shame. I’ve got a libretto for her later on. Can’t you help her out and get her a small part now?” “I’m afraid that is hardly in my line."

“You’d be doing a favor to the show, for she’s good enough to be a .prima donna. She's been kept back by jealousy. Told me so herself. When, will you have it in—tomorrow?" “I scarcely think we can do that sort of thing in the Advance. We don’t print pictures of chorus girls Unless there’s some good story about them—lost jewels, barred from a hotel on account of a dog, divorce or”— Sylvester broke in relievedly, “Oh, she’s been divorced!” “Has.she! When?*’ “Last year." “That’s dead. Wait till her uext She doesn’t go in." - “Why—why—won’t you do it?” stam-• mered the young man, who, deeply appreciating the fact that be was his father’s soil—yes, indeed—failed to comprehend how any employee on the Advance could refuse him anything. “She’s the cutest little girl you ever saw, you old gazoot. You stick to me,"

and I’ll give you an “Interest in- this paper sdine day. Why, she was in”"That all maybe.” responded Brand, rising to end the conversation, “but the Advance doesn’t issue passes to the stage entrance.” Sylvester’s jaw fell in his astonishment at this unexpected blow, and after a" moment, after vainly endeavoring to find appropriate words for a reply.

he went out of the room. Brand was impatient because of the precious time that bad been wasted. He had work to do and little time in which to do it,, and it was the most Important work he had ever done in his life. He sent the office boy to bring the two reporters, Howard and Jeff. Speaking to Miss Stowe, the “central” of the Advance’s private telephone system, he said: “Do not put anybody else on this wire until you hear from me, no matter how long it takies/-" TTrnW. stand? Connect this phone with editorial room 4*aud have it connected until I tell you. Npw be sure about this. Understand? Again be repeated, as it concerned the success of his entire scheme, “Don’t break the connection until 1 tell you myself.”

“This phone will be open all the time that Bartelmy is here,” announced Brand. “Go in there. Howard, and see if you can hear Jeff and me talking. Sit over here. Jeff.” He pointed to the chair at llis right. Howard went out. “Now. Jeff, take dowu this and take down what you say to me.” continued the editor. Brand turned to Jeff and began to talk in a natural tone 6f voice. “Jeff, you know I think the dog in the moon was seven times too slow in his journey through the paths of men, having lost pounds in his auto northward. Is that your opinion?” “No, not entirely. Hence and hereafter we complain of such a miraculous egotism of generality and solecism of peaceful-garments and cold thought.” Brand struck a blow on the desk. “On the contrary, it was,unquestionable and with nasty justice, miscalled

xne two reporters came in. “Now. boys, understand what 1 want you to do. You’ve got to take, word for word, a conversation I’m going to have here. Go in room 4. You, Jeff, take the receiver.” “Yes, sir.” “And you, Howard, take the extension. Thus you will each hear what is said. Keep it glued to your best ear and take down every word you hear tonight between Judge Bartelmy anil me. The judge w ill sit in the chair at the right of my desk. I will he in my own chair. The telephone will thus be midway between us. Whatever words he and I say will be said almost directly over the mouthpiece of the phone. Now, you see w hat 1 am going to do” - Brand took a lead, pencil from his pocket and began a proceeding which the two reporters, accustomed as they were in their business to ingenious strategy, failed at first to understand. Then the scheme dawned on them. Brand took the telephone receiver from the hook, and the metal arm immediately snapped upward, establishing the connection. Then be inserted the point of the lead pencil in the small aperture under the little metal arm or hook and deliberately broke it k>B\ The tiny wedge thus held up the hook. Brand now hung up the receiver, and the pencil point prevented the weight of the receiver from bearing the hook down and breaking the connection. The connection was made continuous without the slightest indication that such was the case. Every word now spoken within a reasonable distance of the mouthpiece would be conveyed to the telephone and the extension telephone in editorial room 4. w here Howard and Jeff were tp be stationed. They had stenographers’ pads with them, on which they were each to take down the conversation in shorthand.

namby-pamby—got it?” cried the editor, 'bending over the mouthpiece. “Come in. Howard!”** Howard hurried into the room. “Compare your notes, boys,” instructed the managing editor. They .held the records side by side and quickly glanced over them. “They are almost exactly the same,” they exelaimed in unison. * ' * ' A smile of satisfaction spread over Brand’s face. / “All right. Now chase back to room 4, both of you!” The office boy brought Brand a card. He took it, and as he glanced at It his eyes narrowed down into little iijarks

of light. “He’s on time,” be murmured. “Very well, Durkin,” he ordered, “show him in, and. Durkin, remember, don’t let any one else in under any circumstances.” A half a minute later Judge Bartelmy stood in the doorway. v He nodded briefly to Brand, and his- eyes swept around the entire room before he stepped in. Slowly be proceeded in front of Brahd’B desk. ■. - “Good evening, judge,” said the editor. “Good evening, Mr. Brand.” .. “Let me take your things. I’ll hang them up,” offered Brand. Just as Dupuy had been, Bartelmy was in evening idress. He took off Iris white kidgloves and put them in his pocket and then handed his hat and coat to the editor. Brand opened the door of a closet at the right hand side of the room and hung the judge’s things therein. He closed the door. Bartelmy stepped to the closet, opened the door and peered sharply into its four corners, Cven fumbling behind his long coat, to make sure that no witness was lurking there to spy on him. “Ob, that’s the way you feel!” commented Brand. "I’ll show you over the plage. But you shouldn’t worry.” Bartelmy coughed nervously. “One can never bn too careful about matters of this kind. Brand. 1 should think that you would have learned that much by this time.”

“This is my first experience of this kind.” said Brand. “Of course it is.” answered Bartelmy. with a tiftge of sarcasm in his voice. “It always is the first time.’ j But*you are assuredly very lucky in- , deed. Brand, to do so very w ell at your j first try at—at” “Come, look over the place, and let’s get through with it.” put in the editor. He crossed and locked the door ; through which the judge had entered. Then he led his visitor over to the door on the opposite side of the room opening into a hallway w-hich extend- : ed to various rooms. He pointed to the room directly across the hall. “It’s quite dark, you see,” be said. “This is where a couple ift editorial writers sit. They gt> home nights, lucky dogs, not being newspaper men.” Bartelmy I was quick enough to catch the ironical comment of the busy managing editor on the scholarly men who wrote the opinions of the paper. Brand drew the judge back into his office and locked the door behind him. “Now - we are alone, absolntdfy alone,” commented Brand significantly. He led the way to his desk and pointed out to the judge the chair at the right hand side. Brand dropped into his own chair, “Have a seat, judge,” he said. Judge Bartelmy drew the chair indicated even closer to the managing editor’s desk and seated himself in it. He leaned forward toward Brand and rested his elbow on the desk. His face was within ten or twelve inches of the telephone.- • (To Be Continued.)

“How would you like to be a reporter?"

He inserted the point of the lead pencil.

“One can never be too careful about matters of this kind."