ANOTHER ALLY
Mr. Cameron was as good as his word.
The next morning when Paul appeared at breakfast, he was greeted with
the words: "Well, I won Damon over. You're to go around there this
evening and he'll have a paper ready for you to the effect that in
consideration of the _Echo_ printing the _March Hare_, the judge will
write for the _Echo_ six articles on the pros and cons of The League of
Nations. You are to get Carter to sign this agreement and then we'll
lock it up in my strong box at the bank."
"That's bully, Dad. It was mighty good of you to take this trouble for
us."
"That's all right, son. I'm always glad to help you boys out. Besides,"
he added whimsically, "I am not entirely philanthropic. The thing amuses
me. I always enjoy beating Carter when I get the chance."
Paul regarded his father affectionately. The big man seemed very human
just at that moment,--little more, in fact, than a boy like himself.
"Then, as I understand it, all we fellows have to do now is to round up
the ten ads.," he said, dropping into his chair at the table and
vigorously attacking his grape-fruit.
"What ads. are you talking about, Paul?" asked his mother, who had just
entered the room.
"Oh, we boys down at school want to get some ads. to help publish our
new paper."
Mrs. Cameron listened while the plans of the _March Hare_ were unfolded
to her.
"Hill and Holden, the Garden Street grocers, are going to put a new
coffee on the market; their man told me about it yesterday and said they
were going to advertise it very extensively."
"There's your chance, Paul!" cried Mr. Cameron. "Call them up this
minute and nail them before they send the advertisement to the papers.
We're customers of theirs and without doubt they'd just as soon send
their announcement to the _Echo_ through you. Tell them they will be
doing a service to the High School pupils, most of whose families' names
are on their books."
Paul needed no second bidding. He sprang to the telephone. A few
instants later he re-entered the room with sparkling eyes.
"O. K.!" he said. "I talked with one of the firm who said they would be
glad to help us out. They'll prepare the ad. and let me have it
to-morrow. They want a quarter of a page."
"They do? Well, well, Paul! That should net the _Echo_ something," Mr.
Cameron remarked. "If all the boys' mothers help them as yours has, your
_March Hare_ will be a certainty by to-morrow."
"You were a brick, Mater."
"I just happened to recall hearing the man speak of it," returned Mrs.
Cameron.
Nevertheless it was quite evident that she was pleased to aid her boy.
"You don't remember happening to hear any one else mention advertising,
do you, my dear?" asked her husband.
"I'm afraid not," was his wife's laughing reply.
"Don't tease Mater, Dad," said Paul. "She's done her bit. May the others
do as well."
Rising from breakfast, he bent and kissed his mother affectionately.
"I'm off to school!" he called. "I shall put this advertising stunt up
to the business manager. He's got to expect to have something to do."
"That's right, Paul," returned Mr. Cameron approvingly. "The clever
business man is the one who organizes his affairs and then throws at
least a part of the responsibility of carrying them out on the men in
his employ. Nobody is ever interested in an undertaking in which he has
no part. Share your work with the other fellow if you want to get the
best out of him. Put it on his shoulders and make him feel that you
expect him to do it--that you trust him to do it. He'll do ten times as
much for you and he will pull with you--not against you. We're all human
and like to be important. Remember that in handling men. It is one of
the great secrets of success. Now off with you! You'll be late if you
stand here philosophizing."
Away scampered Paul. A moment later his wheel was crunching over the
blue gravel of the driveway and speeding down the macadam road. Soon he
was in the classroom.
Excitement ran high that morning. What Caesar did in Gaul, what Cyrus and
the Silician Queen had to say to one another was of far less import to
the agitated students than what the Class of 1920 did that day in
Burmingham. Nevertheless the recitations dragged on somehow and by and
by the geometries, Roman histories, and the peregrinations of Cyrus were
tucked into the desks, and the staff of the _March Hare_ got together
for a hurried business meeting in the corridor.
The boys were enthusiastic that Paul had found a printer.
"Hurrah for you, Kipper!" they shouted.
"Good work, old man!"
"Leave it to Kip!" they cried in chorus.
"You'll have to get the ads.," announced Paul. "I've secured one. I
leave the rest of them to you."
"Right-o! We'll 'tend to them," piped Donald Hall with assurance.
"My father's firm has never advertised," declared Dave Chandler. "I'll
put it up to Pater when I get home."
"My uncle will help us out; I bet he will," promised Oscar Hamilton.
"Robey and Hamilton, you know."
"The more the merrier," responded Paul gayly. "Just call me up this
evening and tell me what luck you've had."
"Sure, old fellow! We'll do that!" came from the boys as they dispersed.
The remainder of the morning Paul mingled fragments of chemistry and
Greek with visions of the _March Hare_, and the moment school was out he
dashed home to complete his studying and get it out of the way that he
might be free to go to see Judge Damon directly after dinner.
Despite the dignity of his profession the judge was a much less
formidable person to face than Mr. Arthur Presby Carter. He was a
simple, kindly man, with an ingratiating smile and a keen sympathy with
human nature. He was, moreover, very fond of young people. He liked all
boys, seeming never to forget the fact that he himself had been one of
them not so many years ago.
Therefore, no sooner had Paul presented himself at the front door than
he was shown into the study where, before a bright fire blazing on the
hearth, the judge sat smoking.
"Come in, Paul," he called cordially. "Your father told me about this
undertaking of yours, and I hear I am to be one of your victims."
"I'm afraid you are, sir."
"Well, well! I suppose doing what we do not enjoy is good for our
characters," returned the judge mischievously. "If you boys propose to
do some serious writing of English and secure a little business
experience, certainly your aim is a worthy one and we older folks should
back you up. It's a far more sensible vent for your energy, to my mind,
than so much football."
"Oh, we're not going to give over our football, sir," asserted Paul with
prompt candor.
"No, indeed! Keep up your games by all means. But moderation is a jewel.
A little football goes a good way, while business training is never
amiss."
"We expect to get quite a bit of business training out of issuing our
paper," said Paul modestly.
"And in order to do it, you young rascals are going to rope me into your
schemes, are you?" demanded the judge.
"Mr. Carter is."
"It's the same thing--or rather it isn't the same thing, for what I
would not consent to do for Mr. Carter I am going to do for you boys."
Paul murmured his thanks.
"Tut, tut! Say no more about it," Judge Damon commanded hastily. "My son
is in the class, you know; surely I should be showing little loyalty to
1920 if I were not ready to help make it glorious; and even if I had no
boy in the High School it would be the same. I should be glad to promote
so worthy an undertaking."
From the litter of papers on the desk the man took up a crisp white
sheet which he folded carefully and slipped into an envelope.
"There is a legal contract for Mr. Carter to sign," he said. "It states
that in consideration of the _Echo_ Press printing ten numbers of the
_March Hare_, I am to furnish Mr. Carter with six articles on the League
of Nations."
"It's mighty good of you, sir."
The judge waved his hand.
"Don't let the favor oppress you, sonny," he said. "Along with your
father I am having my little joke on Carter. I'd like to see his face
when you confront him with this bit of paper. He'll be bound to carry
out his bargain whether he likes it or not."
"You don't think he'll back down."
"Carter back down! No, indeed. Mr. Carter is a man of his word. Although
I differ from him on just about every possible subject, I am glad to
give the devil his due. What he promises he will stick to; never fear,"
Judge Damon declared quickly.
This prediction proved to be no idle one for when, within two or three
days, Paul presented himself once more in the library of Mr. Arthur
Presby Carter and placed in that august person's hand not only the ten
advertisements for the _Echo_ but his father's subscription to the same
paper, and the written agreement of the judge, Mr. Carter, although
plainly chagrined, did not demur.
On the contrary he glanced keenly at the youthful diplomat, observing
grimly:
"You are an enterprising young man, I will say that for you. I should
not mind knowing to what methods you resorted to win these concessions
from these stern-purposed gentlemen. Did you bribe or chloroform them?"
The boy laughed triumphantly.
"Neither, sir."
"The judge, for example--I can't imagine what influence could have been
brought to bear on him to have achieved such a result. I have offered
him a good price for those articles and he has repeatedly refused it.
And now he is going to do them for nothing."
"He just wanted to help us out."
"And your father?"
"He was game, too."
Mr. Carter was silent.
"Well, I guess I can be as good a sport as they can," he observed at
length. "Get your material together for your first number of the _March
Hare_ and bring it over to the _Echo_ office. I'll see that one of our
staff gives you a lesson on how to get it into form. Have you a
typewriter?"
"No, sir."
"Know how to run one?"
"No."
"That's unlucky. We don't like to handle copy that isn't typed. It's too
hard on the eyes and takes us too long. However, we must make the best
of it, I suppose. Only be sure to write plainly and on but one side of
the paper; and do not fold or roll your sheets. That is one thing no
publisher will stand for--rolled manuscript. Remember that."
"I will, sir."
"I guess that's all for now. Good night, youngster."
"Good night, sir."
Although the leave-taking was curt it was not unkind and Paul returned
home with a feeling that in spite of what he had heard of Mr. Carter's
character he neither feared nor disliked the gruff man; in fact, in the
sharp-eyed visage there was actually something that appealed. To his
surprise the lad found himself rather liking Mr. Carter.