Part 60 (1/2)
”Insolent? Yes; he's that. But the worst of it is, I'm afraid he's right.” And he telephoned for Shearson.
The advertising manager came up, puffing.
Hal held out the clipping to him.
”How long has that been running?”
”On and off for six months.”
”Throw it out.”
”Throw it out!” repeated the other bitterly. ”That's easy enough said.”
”And easily enough done.”
”It's out already. Taken out by early notice this morning.”
”That's all right, then.”
”_Is_ it all right!” boomed Shearson. ”_Is_ it! You won't think so when you hear the rest of it.”
”Try me.”
”Do you know _who_ the Sewing Aid a.s.sociation is?”
”No.”
”It's John M. Gibbs! That's who it is!”
”Yell louder, Shearson. It may save you from apoplexy,” advised McGuire Ellis with tender solicitude.
”And we lose every line of the Boston Store advertising, that I worked so hard to get back.”
”That'll hurt,” allowed Ellis.
”Hurt! It draws blood, that does. That Sewing Aid a.s.sociation is Gibbs's scheme to supply the children's department of his store. Why couldn't you find out who you were hitting, Mr. Surtaine?” demanded Shearson pathetically, ”before you went and mucksed everything up this way? See what comes of all this reform guff.”
”Are you sure that John M. Gibbs is back of that sewing-girl ad?”
”Sure? Didn't he call me up this morning and raise the devil?”
”Thank you, Mr. Shearson. That's all.”
To his editorial galley-proof Hal added two lines.
”What's that, Mr. Surtaine?” asked the advertising manager curiously.
”That's outside of your department. But since you ask, I'll tell you.
It's an editorial on the kind of swindle that causes tragedies like Maggie Breen's. And the sentence which I have just added, thanks to you, is this: