pgw.psmith,journalist-第6章

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ou　must　show　the　world　that　even　Cosy　Moments　cannot　keep　a　good　man　down。〃
　He　resumed　his　seat。
　〃How　do　you　mean？〃　said　Billy　Windsor。
　Psmith　turned　to　Mike。
　〃rade　Jackson；　if　you　were　editing　this　paper；　is　there　a　single　feature　you　would　willingly　retain？〃
　〃I　don't　think　there　is；〃　said　Mike。　〃It's　all　pretty　bad　rot。〃
　〃My　opinion　in　a　nutshell；〃　said　Psmith；　approvingly。　〃rade　Jackson；〃　he　explained；　turning　to　Billy；　〃has　a　secure　reputation　on　the　other　side　for　the　keenness　and　lucidity　of　his　views　upon　literature。　You　may　safely　build　upon　him。　In　England　when　rade　Jackson　says　'Turn'　we　all　turn。　Now；　my　views　on　the　matter　are　as　follows。　Cosy　Moments；　in　my　opinion　（worthless；　were　it　not　backed　by　such　a　virtuoso　as　rade　Jackson）；　needs　more　snap；　more　go。　All　these　putrid　pages　must　disappear。　Letters　must　be　despatched　to…morrow　morning；　informing　Luella　Granville　Waterman　and　the　others　（and　in　particular　B。　Henderson　Asher；　who　from　a　cursory　glance　strikes　me　as　an　ideal　candidate　for　a　lethal　chamber）　that；　unless　they　cease　their　contributions　instantly；　you　will　be　pelled　to　place　yourself　under　police　protection。　After　that　we　can　begin　to　move。〃
　Billy　Windsor　sat　and　rocked　himself　in　his　chair　without　replying。　He　was　trying　to　assimilate　this　idea。　So　far　the　grandeur　of　it　had　dazed　him。　It　was　too　spacious；　too　revolutionary。　Could　it　be　done？　It　would　undoubtedly　mean　the　sack　when　Mr。　J。　Fillken　Wilberfloss　returned　and　found　the　apple　of　his　eye　torn　asunder　and；　so　to　speak；　deprived　of　its　choicest　pips。　On　the　other　hand　。　。　。　His　brow　suddenly　cleared。　After　all；　what　was　the　sack？　One　crowded　hour　of　glorious　life　is　worth　an　age　without　a　name；　and　he　would　have　no　name　as　long　as　he　clung　to　his　present　position。　The　editor　would　be　away　ten　weeks。　He　would　have　ten　weeks　in　which　to　try　himself　out。　Hope　leaped　within　him。　In　ten　weeks　he　could　change　Cosy　Moments　into　a　real　live　paper。　He　wondered　that　the　idea　had　not　occurred　to　him　before。　The　trifling　fact　that　the　despised　journal　was　the　property　of　Mr。　Benjamin　White；　and　that　he　had　no　right　whatever　to　tinker　with　it　without　that　gentleman's　approval；　may　have　occurred　to　him；　but；　if　it　did；　it　occurred　so　momentarily　that　he　did　not　notice　it。　In　these　crises　one　cannot　think　of　everything。
　〃I'm　on；〃　he　said；　briefly。
　Psmith　smiled　approvingly。
　〃That；〃　he　said；　〃is　the　right　spirit。　You　will；　I　fancy；　have　little　cause　to　regret　your　decision。　Fortunately；　if　I　may　say　so；　I　happen　to　have　a　certain　amount　of　leisure　just　now。　It　is　at　your　disposal。　I　have　had　little　experience　of　journalistic　work；　but　I　foresee　that　I　shall　be　a　quick　learner。　I　will　bee　your　sub…editor；　without　salary。〃
　〃Bully　for　you；〃　said　Billy　Windsor。
　〃rade　Jackson；〃　continued　Psmith；　〃is　unhappily　more　fettered。　The　exigencies　of　his　cricket　tour　will　pel　him　constantly　to　be　gadding　about；　now　to　Philadelphia；　now　to　Saskatchewan；　anon　to　Onehorseville；　Ga。　His　services；　therefore；　cannot　be　relied　upon　continuously。　From　him；　accordingly；　we　shall　expect　little　but　moral　support。　An　occasional　congratulatory　telegram。　Now　and　then　a　bright　smile　of　approval。　The　bulk　of　the　work　will　devolve　upon　our　two　selves。〃
　〃Let　it　devolve；〃　said　Billy　Windsor；　enthusiastically。
　〃Assuredly；〃　said　Psmith。　〃And　now　to　decide　upon　our　main　scheme。　You；　of　course；　are　the　editor；　and　my　suggestions　are　merely　suggestions；　subject　to　your　approval。　But；　briefly；　my　idea　is　that　Cosy　Moments　should　bee　red…hot　stuff。　I　could　wish　its　tone　to　be　such　that　the　public　will　wonder　why　we　do　not　print　it　on　asbestos。　We　must　chronicle　all　the　live　events　of　the　day；　murders；　fires；　and　the　like　in　a　manner　which　will　make　our　readers'　spines　thrill。　Above　all；　we　must　be　the　guardians　of　the　People's　rights。　We　must　be　a　search…light；　showing　up　the　dark　spot　in　the　souls　of　those　who　would　endeavour　in　any　way　to　do　the　PEOPLE　in　the　eye。　We　must　detect　the　wrong…doer；　and　deliver　him　such　a　series　of　resentful　buffs　that　he　will　abandon　his　little　games　and　bee　a　model　citizen。　The　details　of　the　campaign　we　must　think　out　after；　but　I　fancy　that；　if　we　follow　those　main　lines；　we　shall　produce　a　bright；　readable　little　sheet　which　will　in　a　measure　make　this　city　sit　up　and　take　notice。　Are　you　with　me；　rade　Windsor？〃
　〃Surest　thing　you　know；〃　said　Billy　with　fervour。　
　
　CHAPTER　VI
　THE　TENEMENTS
　
　To　alter　the　scheme　of　a　weekly　from　cover　to　cover　is　not　a　task　that　is　pleted　without　work。　The　dismissal　of　Cosy　Moments'　entire　staff　of　contributors　left　a　gap　in　the　paper　which　had　to　be　filled；　and　owing　to　the　nearness　of　press　day　there　was　no　time　to　fill　it　before　the　issue　of　the　next　number。　The　editorial　staff　had　to　be　satisfied　with　heading　every　page　with　the　words　〃Look　out！　Look　out！！　Look　out！！！　See　foot　of　page！！！！〃　printing　in　the　space　at　the　bottom　the　legend；　〃Next　Week！　See　Editorial！〃　and　piling　in　conjunction　a　snappy　editorial；　setting　forth　the　proposed　changes。　This　was　largely　the　work　of　Psmith。
　〃rade　Jackson；〃　he　said　to　Mike；　as　they　set　forth　one　evening　in　search　of　their　new　flat；　〃I　fancy　I　have　found　my　metier。　merce；　many　considered；　was　the　line　I　should　take；　and　doubtless；　had　I　stuck　to　that　walk　in　life；　I　should　soon　have　bee　a　financial　magnate。　But　something　seemed　to　whisper　to　me；　even　in　the　midst　of　my　triumphs　in　the　New　Asiatic　Bank；　that　there　were　other　fields。　For　the　moment　it　seems　to　me　that　I　have　found　the　job　for　which　nature　specially　designed　me。　At　last　I　have　Scope。　And　without　Scope；　where　are　we？　Wedged　tightly　in　among　the　ribstons。　There　are　some　very　fine　passages　in　that　editorial。　The　last　paragraph；　beginning　'Cosy　Moments　cannot　be　muzzled；'　in　particular。　I　like　it。　It　strikes　the　right　note。　It　should　stir　the　blood　of　a　free　and　independent　people　till　they　sit　in　platoons　on　the　doorstep　of　our　office；　waiting　for　the　next　number　to　appear。〃
　〃How　about　that　next　number？〃　asked　Mike。　〃Are　you　and　Windsor　going　to　fill　the　whole　paper　yourselves？〃
　〃By　no　means。　It　seems　that　rade　Windsor　knows　certain　stout　fellows；　reporters　on　other　papers；　who　will　be　delighted　to　weigh　in　with　stuff　for　a　moderate　fee。〃
　〃How　about　Luella　What's…her…name　and　the　others？　How　have　they　taken　it？〃
　〃Up　to　the　present　we　have　no　means　of　ascertaining。　The　letters　giving　them　the　miss…in…baulk　in　no　uncertain　voice　were　only　despatched　yesterday。　But　it　cannot　affect　us　how　they　writhe　beneath　the　blow。　There　is　no　reprieve。〃
　Mike　roared　with　laughter。
　〃It's　the　rummiest　business　I　ever　struck；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　jolly　glad　it's　not　my　paper。　It's　pretty　lucky　for　you　two　lunatics　that　the　proprietor's　in　Europe。〃
　Psmith　regarded　him　with　pained　surprise。
　〃I　do　not　understand　you；　rade　Jackson。　Do　you　insinuate　that　we　are　not　acting　in　the　proprietor's　best　interests？　When　he　sees　the　receipts；　after　we　have　handled　the　paper　for　a　while；　he　will　go　singing　about　his　hotel。　His　beaming　smile　will　be　a　by…word　in　Carlsbad。　Visitors　will　be　shown　it　as　one　of　the　sights。　His　only　doubt　will　be　whether　to　send　his　money　to　the　bank　or　keep　it　in　tubs　and　roll　in　it。　We　are　on　to　a　big　thing；　rade　Jackson。　Wait　till　you　see　our　first　number。〃
　〃And　how　about　the　editor？　I　should　think　that　first　number　would　bring　him　back　foaming　at　the　mouth。〃
　〃I　have　ascertained　from　rade　Windsor　that　there　is　nothing　to　fear　from　that　quarter。　By　a　singular　stroke　of　good　fortune　rade　Wilberflosshis　name　is　Wilberflosshas　been　ordered　plete　rest　during　his　holiday。　The　kindly　medico；　realising　the　fearful　strain　inflicted　by　reading　Cosy　Moments　in　its　old　form；　specifically　mentioned　that　the　paper　was　to　be　withheld　from　him　until　he　returned。〃
　〃And　when　he　does　return；　what　are　you　going　to　do？〃
　〃By　that　time；　doubtless；　the　paper　will　be　in　so　flourishing　a　state　that　he　will　confess　how　wrong　his　own　methods　were　and　adopt　ours　without　a　murmur。　In　the　meantime；　rade　Jackson；　I　would　call　your　attention　to　the　fact　that　we　seem　to　have　lost　our　way。　In　the　exhilaration　of　this　little　chat；　our　footsteps　have　wandered。　Where　we　are；　goodness　o