“Er—no violence, Deputy....” Abner Fownes’s lips drew together in an expression which was not at all fatuous. “A paper can do great harm even in a few issues,” he said. “That girl’s a stubborn piece.” His eyes half closed. “What’s the professor doing?”
“Snoopin’ around.”
Abner nodded. “If he could be induced—er—to go away.”
“He kin,” said Mr. Jenney, “on the toe of my boot.”
“Wrote a piece about you, eh?”
“I’ll ’tend to his case,” said Mr. Jenney. “What be you goin’ to do wuth that newspaper?”
“Why—er—Deputy, you wouldn’t have me—ah—interfere with the liberty of the press.... Palladium of freedom. Free speech.... There was nothing else, Deputy?”
“That’s all.”
“I—er—hope you recover my truck. Reward, you know.”
Deputy Jenney grinned again, more broadly than before, and left the room.