“Mr. Atwill, this is Mr. Harwood.  He was formerly employed on the ‘Courier.’  It was he that wrote up the Hoosier statesmen, you may remember.”

Atwill nodded.

“I remember very well.  Those articles helped business,—­we could follow your pencil up and down the state on our circulation reports.  I jumped the city editor for letting you go.”

Atwill was a lean, clean-shaven man who chewed gum hungrily.  His eyes were noticeably alert and keen.  There was a tradition that he had been a “star” reporter in New York, a managing editor in Pittsburg, and a business manager in Minneapolis before coming to supervise the “Courier” for its new owner.

“Atwill, you and Harwood had better keep in touch with each other.  Harwood is studying law here, but he will know pretty well what I’m doing.  He will probably write an editorial for you occasionally, and when it comes in it won’t be necessary for the regular employees of the ‘Courier’ to know where it comes from.  Harwood won’t mind if they take all the glory for his work.”

When Atwill left, Bassett talked further to Harwood, throwing his legs across a chair and showing himself more at ease than Dan had yet seen him.

“Harwood,” he said,—­he had dropped the mister to-day for the first time in their intercourse,—­“I’ve opened the door wider to you than I ever did before to any man.  I trust you.”

“I appreciate that, Mr. Bassett.”

“I’ve been carrying too much, and it’s a relief to find that I’ve got a man I can unload on.  You understand, I trust you absolutely.  And in coming to me as you did, and accepting these confidences, I assume that you don’t think me as wicked as my enemies make me out.”

“I liked you,” said Dan, with real feeling, “from that moment you shook hands with me in your house at Fraserville.  When I don’t believe in you any longer, I’ll quit; and if that time comes you may be sure that I shan’t traffic in what I learn of your affairs.  I feel that I want to say that to you.”

“That’s all right, Harwood.  I hope our relations will be increasingly friendly; but if you want to quit at any time you’re not tied.  Be sure of that.  If you should quit me to-morrow I should be disappointed but I wouldn’t kick.  And don’t build up any quixotic ideas of gratitude toward me.  When you don’t like your job, move on.  I guess we understand each other.”

If Dan entertained any doubts as to the ethics involved in Bassett’s handling of the situation in Ranger County they were swept away by the perfect candor with which Bassett informed their new intimacy.  The most interesting and powerful character in Indiana politics had made a confidant of him.  Without attempting to exact vows of secrecy, or threatening vengeance for infractions of faith, but in a spirit of good-fellowship that appealed strongly to Harwood, Bassett had given him a pass-key to many locked doors.

“As you probably gathered,” Bassett was saying, “Atwill represents me at the ‘Courier’ office.”