Jerome liked what Hildreth had said, admired her for her common sense.  He offered to return to the city, and risk his job by stating that he had been hoaxed.

“I will leave you to argue it out with him, Mr. Miller.”  And Hildreth excused herself and went off down the path to the Ronds’ too.

“Johnnie,” my friend urged, putting his hand on my shoulder, “your little lady has a lot of sense ... it will kick up a hell of a row ... it’s true what you say about them rather approving of you now, some of them, considering you a sly dog and so forth....  Yes, I’m sorry to say, what you’re doing, much of the world is doing most of the time.”

“I beg your pardon, Jerome, but there you’ve made my point ... do you think I want a sneaking, clandestine thing kept up between me and the woman I love?”

“Then why not stay apart till the divorce is granted, then marry her like a regular fellow?”

“Damn it, Jerome, you don’t understand, you don’t get what we radicals are driving at....”

“I’ll take a chance with my job and quash this interview—­that’s how much I like you, Johnnie.”

“Oh, I know you mean well enough ... most of you boys have treated me rather well, according to your lights ... it’s the damned lead-writers and re-writers and editorial writers—­they’re the ones that do the damage.”

“You want me to go ahead then?”

“Yes, that is the only way.”

“It is a big story, a real scoop.”  Miller was again the newspaper man who had scored a beat on rival newspapers....

“Can’t you stay over night, Jerome?  We can make room.”

“I must catch the next train back ...  I’m off now ... there’s the taxi I arranged to have come and take me ... it’s out there now ... good-bye, Johnny, and God help you and your little girl.”

* * * * *

Hildreth came in soon after Miller’s departure, looking like a fresh-faced girl of twelve.

“Did—­did your friend think I was good-looking?”

“Yes, I am sure he thoroughly approved of you.”

“To-morrow another Roman holiday begins.”

* * * * *

The result of that interview was worse than I could have surmised.  All the batteries opened fire again.  The Kansas papers called me “the shameless tramp” ... reporters spilled from autos and rigs all over the front stoop.  After giving a few more interviews in the mad hope that this time they would get it straight, I saw that the harvest was even greater abuse and defamation ... and, as Hildreth had predicted, she came in for more than her share of the moral indignation of people who sold that precious ware at so much a line, or were paid salaries for such work....

We practically deserted our house so the reporters could not find us....

Many of the reporters never came near the house.  Instead, lurid stories were concocted in the back rooms of nearby roadhouses.  And, failing to find us at home, interviews were faked so badly that they verged on the burlesque ... where not vulgar, they were vicious ... words were slipped in that implied things which, expressed clearly, had furnished ample grounds for libel.