"Oh, drop it, Jim," said Mr. Early, relapsing into the old vernacular.
"I'm sick of everything to-night. Here's your cocktail. Help yourself to
a cigar."
"You ought to get married, instead of sitting here with the blues all by
yourself. Tell you, a warm little wife is a nice thing to come home to."
"Thank you, Jim," said Mr. Early dryly.
They sank into silence, a comfortable silence, permeated with the
fragrance of tobacco, with warmth in the cardiac region, and with that
crackle of burning logs that satisfieth the soul. But occasionally Mr.
Early shot a sharp glance at his companion, and his study did not
reassure him. At last he spoke.
"Well, out with it, Jim. It's evident that you've something on your
mind."
"You're right, I have," said Murdock with sudden emphasis. "I don't know
whether you can help me, but it's second nature for me to try you. I'm
getting anxious about Barry and affairs connected with him."
"What about Barry? I thought you had him in your pocket."
"Oh, I've still got him in the pocket over my heart, and buttoned down
tight," said Mr. Murdock grimly. "It's because he belongs to me that I'm
looking out for him."
"Well," said Mr. Early, and he leaned forward nervously to poke the fire
that needed no poking.
"Well! In spite of me, Billy's getting restless. He's getting worse than
restless, and I'm afraid to think how he may break out. You know how he
loses his sense once in a while. Have you noticed how the Star has
been running him of late?" Mr. Murdock slowly gathered force in stating
his grievances.
"Yes, I've noticed it," said Mr. Early.
"The Star is the only paper I haven't got a strangle hold of--at least
so I thought. But some of the other dailies are butting in. Say they're
afraid not to. Of course, an occasional black eye is all in the day's
work. It rather helps things along. Billy expects it, and he isn't
thin-skinned. It doesn't make much difference as long as our own organs
print what they're told. But, say, this thing is going beyond a joke.
Billy has been really cut up over the way this coroner business is
getting home to the public. He says if there is going to be squirming,
he'll look out that there are other people squirming besides himself. I
suppose that's meant as a threat for me. You know there are things--even
affairs that you are interested in, Sebastian--that are all on the
square, you know, and perfectly right, but they take too much explaining
for the public ever to understand them."
"I know," said Mr. Early, still poking the fire.
"And do you know who is back of the whole rumpus?"