“Of course not.  He’s merely trying to snatch control of an empire, and to grab ten million dollars’ worth of coal, for nothing.  That’s not theft, it’s financial genius!  Fortunately, however, the public is rousing itself—­coming to regard its natural resources as its own and not the property of the first financier who lays hold of them.  Call it what you will, but give us the true story of the Kyak coal and, above all, the story of the railroad battle.  Things are growing bitter up there already, and they’re bound to get rapidly worse.  Give us the news and we’ll play it up big through our Eastern syndicate.  You can handle the magazine articles in a more dignified way, if you choose.  A few good vigorous, fearless, newspaper stories, written by some one on the ground, will give Congress such a jolt that no coal patents will be issued this season and no Government aid will be given to the railroads.  You get the idea?”

“Certainly!  But it will take time to do all that.”

“Spend a year at it if necessary.  The Review is fighting for a principle; it will back you to any extent.  Isn’t it worth a year, two years, of hard labor, to awaken the American people to the knowledge that they are being robbed of their birthright?  I have several men whom I could send, but I chose you because your work along this line has given you a standing.  This is your chance, Eliza—­to make a big reputation and to perform a real service to the country.  It’s a chance that may never come your way again.  Will you go?”

“Of course I’ll go.”

“I knew you would.  You’re all business, and that’s what makes a hit in this office.  You’re up against a tough proposition, but I can trust you to make good on it.  You can’t fail if you play one interest against the other, for they’re all fighting like Kilkenny cats.  The Heidlemanns are a bunch of bandits; Gordon is a brilliant, unscrupulous promoter; O’Neil is a cold, shrewd schemer with more brains and daring than any of the others—­he showed that when he walked in there and seized the Salmon River canon.  He broke up all their plans and set the Copper Trust by the ears, but I understand they’ve got him bottled up at last.  Here’s your transportation—­on Saturday’s steamer.”  The editor shook Miss Appleton’s hand warmly as she rose.  “Good luck, Eliza!  Remember, we won’t balk, no matter how lively your stuff is.  The hotter the better—­and that’s what the magazines want, too.  If I were you, I’d gum-shoe it.  They’re a rotten crowd and they might send you back if they got wise.”

“I think not,” said Eliza, quietly.