Let 's  get  along.  You  can  tell  me  on  the  way."

Still  rapt  with  his  vision  the  minister  rose,  and  per
mitted  himself  to  be  guided  to  the  carriage.  Once  inside
he  fell  into  a  semi-stupor.  Only  at  the  hospital,  where  Dr.
Merritt  was  waiting  to  see  him  safe  within  the  isolation
ward,  did  he  come  to  his  rightful  senses,  cool,  and,  as  ever,
thoughtful  of  everything  but  himself.
308


THE  GREATER   TEMPTING

"You've  got  your  chance  for  a  diagnosis  at  last,  Doc
tor,"  he  whispered  to  the  health  officer.
Half  an  hour  later,  Dr.  Merritt  came  out  to  the  waiting
journalist.
"Typhus,"  he  said,  with  grievous  exultation.  "Unmis
takably  and  officially  typhus.  We  Ve  got  our  case.  Only,
I  wish  to  God  it  had  been  any  of  the  rest  of  us."

"Will  he  die?"  queried  Ellis.
"God  knows.  I  should  say  his  chance  was  worse  than
even.  He's  worn  out  from  overwork."

For  assurance,  Dr.  Elliot  was  sent  for  and  added  his
diagnosis.  Ellis  got  authoritative  interviews  with  both
men,  and  the  "Clarion's"  great,  potential  sensation  was
now  fully  ripe  for  print.  Denton  the  reporter  had  done
the  previous  work  well.  His  "story,"  leaded  out  and  with
subheads,  ran  flush  to  two  pages  of  the  paper,  and  every
paragraph  of  it  struck  fire.  It  would,  as  Ellis  said,  set  off
a  ton  of  dynamite  beneath  sleepy  Worthington.  That
night  Veltman  "pulled"  a  proof,  and  Ellis  stayed  far  into
the  morning,  pasting  up  a  dummy  of  the  article  for  Hal's
inspection  and  final  judgment.
