Queed, though he knew the history of Ireland very well, could not recall any parallel to the United Confederate Veterans in the annals of that country. Still, a man capable of distorting history as Nicolovius distorted it could always find a parallel to anything anywhere.
When the meal was about half over, Queed said:--
"You slept badly last night, didn"t you?"
"Yes--my old enemy. The attack soon pa.s.sed. However, you may be sure that it is a comfort at such times to know that I am not alone."
"If you should need any--ahem--a.s.sistance, I a.s.sume that you will call me," said Queed, after a pause.
"Thank you. You can hardly realize what your presence here, your companionship and, I hope I may say, your friendship, mean to me."
Queed glanced at him over the table, and hastily turned his glance away.
He had surprised Nicolovius looking at him with a curiously tender look in his black diamond eyes.
The young man went to the office that night, worried by two highly irritating ideas. One was that Nicolovius was most unjustifiably permitting himself to become dependent upon him. The other was that it was very peculiar that a Fenian refugee should care to express slanderous views of the soldiers of a Lost Cause. Both thoughts, once introduced into the young man"s mind, obstinately stuck there.
XX
_Meeting of the Post Directors to elect a Successor to Colonel Cowles; Charles Gardiner West"s Sensible Remarks on Mr. Queed; Mr.
West"s Resignation from Old Blaines College, and New Consecration to the Uplift._
The _Post_ directors gathered in special meeting on Monday. Their first act was to adopt some beautiful resolutions, prepared by Charles Gardiner West, in memory of the editor who had served the paper so long and so well. Next they changed the organization of the staff, splitting the late Colonel"s heavy duties in two, by creating the separate position of managing editor; this official to have complete authority over the news department of the paper, as the editor had over its editorial page. The directors named Evan Montague, the able city editor of the Post, to fill the new position, while promoting the strongest of the reporters to fill the city desk.
The chairman, Stewart Byrd, then announced that he was ready to receive nominations for, or hear discussion about, the editorship.
One of the directors, Mr. Hopkins, observed that, as he viewed it, the directors should not feel restricted to local timber in the choice of a successor to the Colonel. He said that the growing importance of the _Post_ ent.i.tled it to an editor of the first ability, and that the directors should find such a one, whether in New York, or Boston, or San Francisco.
Another director, Mr. Boggs, remarked that it did not necessarily follow that a thoroughly suitable man must be a New York, Boston, or San Francisco man. Unless he was greatly deceived, there was an eminently suitable man, not merely in the city, but in the office of the _Post_, where, since Colonel Cowles"s death, he was doing fourteen hours of excellent work per day for the sum of fifteen hundred dollars per annum.
"Mr. Boggs"s point," said Mr. Hickok, a third director, who looked something like James E. Winter, "is exceedingly well taken. A United States Senator from a Northern State is a guest in my house for Reunion week. The Senator reads the editorials in the _Post_ with marked attention, has asked me the name of the writer, and has commended some of his utterances most highly. The Senator tells me that he never reads the editorials in his own paper--a Boston paper, Mr. Hopkins, by the bye--his reason being that they are never worth reading."
Mr. Shorter and Mr. Porter, fourth and fifth directors, were much struck with Mr. Hickok"s statement. They averred that they had made a point of reading the _Post_ editorials during the Colonel"s absence, with a view to sizing up the a.s.sistant, and had been highly pleased with the character of his work.
Mr. Wilmerding, a sixth director, declared that the Colonel had, in recent months, more than once remarked to him that the young man was entirely qualified to be his successor. In fact, the Colonel had once said that he meant to retire before a great while, and, of course with the directors" approval, turn over the editorial helm to the a.s.sistant.
Therefore, he, Mr. Wilmerding, had pleasure in nominating Mr. Queed for the position of editor of the _Post_.
Mr. Shorter and Mr. Porter said that they had pleasure in seconding this nomination.
Mr. Charles Gardiner West, a seventh director, was recognized for a few remarks. Mr. West expressed his intense gratification over what had been said in eulogy of Mr. Queed. This gratification, some might argue, was not wholly disinterested, since it was Mr. West who had discovered Mr.
Queed and sent him to the _Post_. To praise the able editor was therefore to praise the alert, watchful, and discriminating director.
(Smiles.) Seriously, Mr. Queed"s work, especially during the last few months, had been of the highest order, and Mr. West, having worked beside him more than once, ventured to say that he appreciated his valuable qualities better than any other director. If the Colonel had but lived a year or two longer, there could not, in his opinion, be the smallest question as to what step the honorable directors should now take. But as it was, Mr. West, as Mr. Queed"s original sponsor on the _Post_, felt it his duty to call attention to two things. The first was the young man"s extreme youth. The second was the fact that he was a stranger to the State, having lived there less than two years. At his present rate of progress, it was of course patent to any observer that he was a potential editor of the _Post_, and a great one. But might it not be, on the whole, desirable--Mr. West merely suggested the idea in the most tentative way, and wholly out of his sense of sponsorship for Mr. Queed--to give him a little longer chance to grow and broaden and learn, before throwing the highest responsibility and the final honors upon him?
Mr. West"s graceful and sensible remarks made a distinct impression upon the directors, and Mr. Hopkins took occasion to say that it was precisely such thoughts as these that had led him to suggest looking abroad for a man. Mr. Shorter and Mr. Porter a.s.serted that they would deprecate doing anything that Mr. West, with his closer knowledge of actual conditions, thought premature. Mr. Boggs admitted that the ability to write editorials of the first order was not all that should be required of the editor of the _Post_. It might be doubtful, thought he, whether so young a man could represent the _Post_ properly on occasions of a semi-public nature, or in emergency situations such as occasionally arose in an editorial office.
Mr. Wilmerding inquired the young man"s age, and upon being told that he was under twenty-six, remarked that only very exceptional abilities could counteract such youth as that.
"That," said Mr. Hickok, glancing cursorily at Charles Gardiner West, "is exactly the sort of abilities Mr. Queed possesses."
Discussion flagged. The chairman asked if they were ready for a vote upon Mr. Queed.
"No, no--let"s take our time," said Mr. Wilmerding.
"Perhaps somebody has other nominations to offer."
No one seemed to have other nominations to offer. Some minutes were consumed by random suggestions and unprogressive recommendations. Busy directors began to look at their watches.
"Look here, Gard--I mean Mr. West," suddenly said young Theodore Fyne, the baby of the board. "Why couldn"t we persuade _you_ to take the editorship?... Resign from the college, you know?"
"Now you _have_ said something!" cried Mr. Hopkins, enthusiastically.
Mr. West, by a word and a gesture, indicated that the suggestion was preposterous and the conversation highly unwelcome.
But it was obvious that young Mr. Fyne"s suggestion had caught the directors at sight. Mr. Shorter and Mr. Porter affirmed that they had not ventured to hope, etc., etc., but that if Mr. West could be induced to consider the position, no choice would appear to them so eminently--etc., etc. So said Mr. Boggs. So said Messrs. Hopkins, Fyne, and Wilmerding.
Mr. Hickok, the director who resembled James E. Winter, looked out of the window.
Mr. West, obviously restive under these tributes, was constrained to state his position more fully. For more than one reason which should be evident, he said, the mention of his name in this connection was most embarra.s.sing and distasteful to him. While thanking the directors heartily for their evidences of good-will, he therefore begged them to desist, and proceed with the discussion of other candidates.
"In that case," said Mr. Hickok, "it appears to be the reluctant duty of the nominator to withdraw Mr. West"s name."
But the brilliant young man"s name, once thrown into the arena, could no more be withdrawn than the fisherman of legend could restore the genie to the bottle, or Pandora get her pretty gifts back into the box again.
There was the idea, fairly out and vastly alluring. The kindly directors pressed it home. No doubt they, as well as Plonny Neal, appreciated that Blaines College did not give the young man a fair field for his talents; and certainly they knew with admiration the articles with which he sometimes adorned the columns of their paper. Of all the directors, they now pointed out, he had stood closest to Colonel Cowles, and was most familiar with the traditions and policies of the _Post_. Their urgings increased in force and persistence; perhaps they felt encouraged by a certain want of finality in the young man"s tone; and at length West was compelled to make yet another statement.
He was, he explained, utterly disconcerted at the turn the discussion had taken, and found the situation so embarra.s.sing that he must ask his friends, the directors, to extricate him from it at once. The editorship of the _Post_ was an office which he, personally, had never aspired to, but it would be presumption for him to deny that he regarded it as a post which would reflect honor upon any one. He was willing to admit, in this confidential circle, moreover, that he had taken up college work chiefly with the ambition of a.s.sisting Blaines over a critical year or two in its history, and that, to put it only generally, he was not indefinitely bound to his present position. But under the present circ.u.mstances, as he said, he could not consent to any discussion of his name; and unless the directors would agree to drop him from further consideration, which he earnestly preferred, he must reluctantly suggest adjournment.
"An interregnum," said Mr. Hickok, looking out of the window, "is an unsatisfactory, not to say a dangerous thing. Would it not be better, since we are gathered for that purpose, to take decisive action to-day?"
"What is your pleasure, gentlemen?" inquired Chairman Byrd.
Mr. Hickok was easily overruled. The directors seized eagerly on Mr.
West"s suggestion. On motion of Mr. Hopkins, seconded by Mr. Shorter and Mr. Porter, the meeting stood adjourned to the third day following at noon.
On the second day following the _Post_ carried the interesting announcement that Mr. West had resigned from the presidency of Blaines College, a bit of news which his friends read with sincere pleasure. The account of the occurrence gave one to understand that all Mr. West"s well-known persuasiveness had been needed to force the trustees to accept his resignation. And when James E. Winter read this part of it, at his suburban breakfast, he first laughed, and then swore. The same issue of the _Post_ carried an editorial, mentioning in rather a sketchy way the benefits Mr. West had conferred upon Blaines College, and paying a high and confident tribute to his qualities as a citizen. The young acting-editor, who never wrote what he did not think, had taken much pains with this editorial, especially the sketchy part. Of course the pestiferous _Chronicle_ took an entirely different view of the situation. "The _Chronicle_ has won its great fight," so it nervily said, "against cla.s.sism in Blames College." And it had the vicious taste to add: "Nothing in Mr. West"s presidential life became him like the leaving of it."
On the third day the directors met again. With characteristic delicacy of feeling, West remained away from the meeting. However, Mr. Hopkins, who seemed to know what he was talking about, at once expressed his conviction that they might safely proceed to the business which had brought them together.
"Perceiving clearly that I represent a minority view," said Mr. Hickok, "I request the director who nominated Mr. Queed to withdraw his name. I think it proper that our action should be unanimous. But I will say, frankly, that if Mr. Queed"s name remains before the board, I shall vote for him, since I consider him from every point of view the man for the position."
Mr. Queed"s name having been duly withdrawn, the directors unanimously elected Charles Gardiner West to the editorship of the _Post_. By a special resolution introduced by Mr. Hopkins, they thanked Mr. Queed for his able conduct of the editorial page in the absence of the editor, and voted him an increased honorarium of eighteen hundred dollars a year.
The directors adjourned, and Mr. Hickok stalked out, looking more like James E. Winter than ever. The other directors, however, looked highly gratified at themselves. They went out heartily congratulating each other. By clever work they had secured for their paper the services of one of the ablest, most gifted, most polished and popular young men in the State. Nevertheless, though they never knew it, their action was decidedly displeasing to at least one faithful reader of the _Post_, to wit, Miss Charlotte Lee Weyland, of the Department of Charities. Sharlee felt strongly that Mr. Queed should have had the editorship, then and there. It might be said that she had trained him up for exactly that position. Of course, Mr. West, her very good friend, would make an editor of the first order. But, with all the flocks that roamed upon his horizon, ought he to have reached out and plucked the one ewe lamb of the poor a.s.sistant? Besides, she thought that Mr. West ought to have remained at Blaines College.
But how could she maintain this att.i.tude of criticism when the new editor himself, bursting in upon her little parlor in a golden nimbus of optimism, radiant good humor and success, showed up the shallowness and the injustice of it?