"Perhaps you know a better," suggested the old man.
"I know few worse, and I know one man the very man for "The Observer"; but I doubt if he will come to you," said the editor.
"Why not?" asked Ebenezer Brown.
"Because you sweat your employes. No man but O"Connor would have worked as editor for the pittance you paid him. Cairns certainly will require a fair salary and a free hand before he gives "The Observer" a chance."
Ebenezer Brown recognised the truth of what the editor said. His chief regret was that Michael O"Connor had not lived for ever. However, after prolonged negotiations, he accepted Cairns on the latter"s own terms.
It was another matter, however, when the editor demanded a more capable lieutenant than Gifford. Here he found Ebenezer Brown inexorable, for the sub-editor was linked to him by the triple bonds of flattery, usefulness, and influence. He made it a rule to regard Ebenezer"s every action as perfection; outside the office he a.s.sisted the old man in his business affairs; and he brought influence to bear in b.u.t.tressing his position against the a.s.saults of his chief. The consequence was that he remained as nominal sub-editor, while Cairns deputed Desmond O"Connor to do the work. Gifford, recognising the slight, bore his chief and subordinate no love, but, being unable to injure Cairns, bent himself to take his revenge from the reporter.
It was in his power to make his subordinate"s life unpleasant, and this he accomplished to the utmost limit of his capability. But he was not satisfied with this; his purpose in life was to ruin Desmond. He sowed the seeds of dislike in Ebenezer Brown"s mind--an easy thing to accomplish when one was so careless as Desmond O"Connor.
Sketches he left lying about, and verses of poetry which were like pointed barbs in the flesh of Ebenezer Brown. But when the old man turned to Cairns suggesting the dismissal of the reporter, he received small encouragement from the editor.
"O"Connor is careless; I grant that. He is still a boy, and he acts on impulses, often mistaken ones. He is very clever with his pencil, and does not care a hang whom he caricatures. He has even had the cheek to sketch me. I saw it.
"And me, too," growled Ebenezer.
"I saw that, too. I suppose Gifford exhibited it to you?" said Cairns.
"Never mind how I saw it. It is impudence, insubordination, ingrat.i.tude," replied the old man.
"Hem!" coughed the editor, dubiously.
"Look what his father owed to me."
"And you to O"Connor," suggested Cairns. "I should put the ingrat.i.tude on one side. O"Connor can go if you like, and I shall also retire."
"Oh, nonsense, Cairns! You have a good billet cried Ebenezer.
"No better than I deserve, I a.s.sure you. The long and short of it is that I will not allow the petty jealousy of Gifford to deprive me of an invaluable a.s.sistant. This is an ultimatum."
Ebenezer Brown retired, grumbling to himself, while Cairns sought Desmond O"Connor.
"You are a hopeless young dog," he said, picking up a sketch. "A racehorse! I presume you bet?"
"Just a trifle now and again," replied the reporter, carelessly. "I won a tenner over that horse."
"Knowing the prejudices of your chief, I am surprised at you. Ebenezer Brown detests racehorses."
"It runs in the blood, sir. My father was worse than I. He would have owned this paper but for a horse and jockey. The horse would have won the Melbourne Cup but that it did not fall in with the jockey"s plans.
The governor turned to Ebenezer Brown for a.s.sistance, and mortgaged "The Observer," The old man should be eternally grateful to racehorses."
"And here am I for ever fighting your battles. Why don"t you help me? If Ebenezer Brown knows that you gamble, he will shoot you out,"
remonstrated Cairns.
"He knew the governor"s besetting sin, and never so much as remonstrated with him," said Desmond.
"Because your father was invaluable to him, and cheap, neither of which qualifications you possess. There is another matter against you--in fact, several other matters. You dabble in theatricals."
Desmond O"Connor laughed.
"Do you object to theatricals?" he asked.
"Not in the least, excepting from a humanitarian point of view. My only charge against your company is that you contemplate the mutilation of "As You Like It.""
"Better to aim high," suggested Desmond O"Connor, "than to be content with second-rate melodrama. We have a capable instructor, and we are very humble, I a.s.sure you. Our att.i.tude is one of deprecation; be merciful our prayer."
"Do you deserve mercy," asked the editor, "rendering none? But let that pa.s.s. You at least, I am told, are among the pa.s.sable players. But Ebenezer Brown abhors plays and players; he detests billiards and cards; strong drink is anathema to him. How can you expect to keep your position--an actor, a billiard player, exponent of bridge, and one who shouts and is shouted?"
"I can only rely upon your support. All these things are harmless," said the reporter.
"Undoubtedly harmless in moderation. But the owner of this paper regards horses, cards and billiards merely as media for gambling; he cannot discriminate between cards as a pleasant relaxation and as a method for playing "beggar my neighbour." Plays and strong drink he a.s.sociates with other vices. If you were a good and prudent young man, you would hide your vices under a pious exterior--for home consumption."
"Hypocrisy!" cried Desmond O"Connor. "I would rather be anything than a hypocrite. What right has old Ebenezer Brown to come dictating to me and preaching piety? Have you heard his history?"
"s.n.a.t.c.hes of it," said Cairns. "It is the history of many other successful men."
"He is a robber, a mere bird of prey. He has built on the ruins of widows and orphans." The whole town knows what he is, and he deceives no man, excepting Gifford and himself. Does he expect to deceive the Almighty?"
A sound behind them, half a cry and half a curse, caused the two men to turn towards the door. There stood Ebenezer Brown, his accustomed pallor changed to an unhealthy purple.
"Go!" he cried, barely able to articulate the word in his rage, as he pointed an attenuated finger towards the door. "You are an insubordinate young dog! Go at once!"
"One minute, Mr. Brown. I warned you that no one should dismiss my subordinates but I. If O"Connor goes, I follow him."
"As you please," gasped the old man. "There are others as clever as you, and infinitely less expensive. You ungrateful young scapegrace!" he added, turning on Desmond, "I have been a friend to you and to your family. But for me you would have starved."
With this he stalked out of the office, leaving the other men smiling broadly in each other"s faces at this outburst of impotent rage.
"I am a stubborn sort of person," said Cairns, "and I rather like this locality. Shall we stay in Grey Town and fight him?"
Desmond eyed his superior with an unaffected surprise.
"Fight him? But how?" he asked.
"Come round to me to-night--no, to-morrow night, young man. I must see one or two men of business in the town. After my interviews we will discuss the best means of fighting Ebenezer."
"Shall we take the old man at his word, and leave him in the lurch? Do you think he could run "The Observer" for himself?" asked Desmond.
"No, Desmond; here I stay until he finds a successor. I love the old "Observer," and I am responsible for it while I remain on the staff.
After I go, I may take my revenge out of the ancient sinner."
That day the work proceeded as usual. During the course of it a man came into the office and asked for Desmond O"Connor. He was a big man, with a good-humoured, ugly face, surmounted by curly black hair. He was tanned by the sun, and his blue-grey Irish eyes peeped out from the reddish-brown surroundings of his face. He had a determined mouth and chin, a jaw that spoke of a struggle with the world, and of success in that battle.
"You are O"Connor?" he asked Desmond when he appeared. "I am Quirk, the long lost and recently returned. Did Miss O"Connor speak of me?"