“Yes; perfectly,” Dan replied.  “As I understand it, Miles isn’t guilty, but you would take advantage of the agitation to show the necessity for reform.”

“Exactly.  And while you’re about it, write a vigorous editorial for the ‘Courier,’ on the same line, and a few ironical squibs based on the eagerness of the Republican papers to see all Democrats through black goggles.”  The humor showed in Bassett’s eyes for an instant, and he added:  “Praise the Republican prosecutor of Ranger County for refusing to yield to partisan pressure and take advantage of a Democrat’s mistakes of judgment.  He’s a nice fellow and we’ve got to be good to him.”

This was the first task of importance that Bassett had assigned to him and Dan addressed himself to it zealously.  If Miles was not really a defaulter there was every reason why the heinous aspersions of the opposition press should be dealt with vigorously.  Dan was impressed by Bassett’s method of dealing with a difficult situation.  Miles had erred, but Bassett had taken the matter in hand promptly, secretly, and effectively.  His attitude toward the treasurer’s sin was tolerant and amiable.  Miles had squandered money in bucket-shop gambling, but the sin was not uncommon, and the amount of his loss was sufficient to assure his penitence; he was an ally of Bassett’s and it was Bassett’s way to take care of his friends.  Bassett had not denied that the culprit had been guilty of indiscretions; but he had minimized the importance of his error and adorned the tale with a moral on which Dan set about laying the greatest emphasis.  He enjoyed writing, and in the interview he attributed ideas to Bassett that would have been creditable to the most idealistic of statesmen.  He based the editorial Bassett had suggested upon the interview; and he wrote half a dozen editorial paragraphs in a vein of caustic humor that the “Courier” affected.  In the afternoon he copied his articles on a typewriter and submitted them to Bassett.

“Good, very good.  Too bad to take you out of the newspaper business; you have the right point of view and you know how to get hold of the right end of a sentence.  Let me see.  I wish you would do another interview changing the phraseology and making it short, and we’ll give the ‘Advertiser’ a chance to print it.  I’ll attend to these other things.  You’d better not be running into the ‘Courier’ office too much now that you’re with me.  They haven’t got on to that yet, but they’ll give us a twist when they do.”

Dan had been admitted to the ante-chamber of Bassett’s confidence, but he was to be permitted to advance a step further.  At four o’clock he was surprised by the appearance of Atwill, the “Courier’s” manager.  Dan had no acquaintance with Atwill, whose advent had been coincident with the “Courier’s” change of ownership shortly after Dan’s tentative connection with the paper began.  Atwill had rarely visited the editorial department, but it was no secret that he exercised general supervision of the paper.  It had been whispered among the reporters that every issue was read carefully in proof by Atwill, but Dan had never been particularly interested in this fact.  As Atwill appeared in the outer office, Bassett came from his own room to meet him.  The door closed quickly upon the two and they were together for half an hour or more.  Then Bassett summoned Dan.