Three hours later, after waiting vainly for him at the appointed place, other more conservative leaders declared and ruled in favour of arbitration, and the strike with its attendant dangers was averted.  Subsequent editions of the paper referred, in coloured inks, to the clarion tone of its successful denunciation of the labour leader’s intended designs.

The remaining leaves of the active journal also went loyally to the proving of its potency.

When Johnny returned from school he sought a secluded spot and removed the missing columns from the inside of his clothing, where they had been artfully distributed so as to successfully defend such areas as are generally attacked during scholastic castigations.  Johnny attended a private school and had had trouble with his teacher.  As has been said, there was an excellent editorial against corporal punishment in that morning’s issue, and no doubt it had its effect.

After this can any one doubt the power of the press?

XIX

TOMMY’S BURGLAR

At ten o’clock P. M. Felicia, the maid, left by the basement door with the policeman to get a raspberry phosphate around the corner.  She detested the policeman and objected earnestly to the arrangement.  She pointed out, not unreasonably, that she might have been allowed to fall asleep over one of St. George Rathbone’s novels on the third floor, but she was overruled.  Raspberries and cops were not created for nothing.

The burglar got into the house without much difficulty; because we must have action and not too much description in a 2,000-word story.

In the dining room he opened the slide of his dark lantern.  With a brace and centrebit he began to bore into the lock of the silver-closet.

Suddenly a click was heard.  The room was flooded with electric light.  The dark velvet portieres parted to admit a fair-haired boy of eight in pink pajamas, bearing a bottle of olive oil in his hand.

“Are you a burglar?” he asked, in a sweet, childish voice.

“Listen to that,” exclaimed the man, in a hoarse voice.  “Am I a burglar?  Wot do you suppose I have a three-days’ growth of bristly beard on my face for, and a cap with flaps?  Give me the oil, quick, and let me grease the bit, so I won’t wake up your mamma, who is lying down with a headache, and left you in charge of Felicia who has been faithless to her trust.”

“Oh, dear,” said Tommy, with a sigh.  “I thought you would be more up-to-date.  This oil is for the salad when I bring lunch from the pantry for you.  And mamma and papa have gone to the Metropolitan to hear De Reszke.  But that isn’t my fault.  It only shows how long the story has been knocking around among the editors.  If the author had been wise he’d have changed it to Caruso in the proofs.”

“Be quiet,” hissed the burglar, under his breath.  “If you raise an alarm I’ll wring your neck like a rabbit’s.”