“They include the back dates?”
“Yes. I went through the morgue at the Daily Sphere, and found everything that concerned Harriman, as well as Wilkinson and Chatham.
“I haven’t missed anything. I’ve been extremely careful in their arrangement. I’ve done a lot of work on this case; still, I’m being overpaid.”
“Forget that.”
“I can’t forget it, Mr. Clarendon.” Burke’s eyes expressed both appreciation and admiration. “I’ve been waiting to see you, always hoping that I could tell you how grateful I am for all you’ve done for me.”
“Just what have I done for you?” The same mirthless smile remained on Clarendon’s face.
“I’ll tell you, Mr. Clarendon,” said Burke earnestly. “When I lost my job, the time the Evening Clarion was taken over by the Daily Sphere, I was down and out. I didn’t know where to turn. I was a good police reporter, but there were too many of them in New York.
“When you called me up, and told me you would pay the expenses for starting this clipping bureau, I figured that it would just about make me a living.
“Your second offer — to pay me a salary for sending you any clippings that you might require — meant a lot to me. You said that you would fix the figure.
“Since then, you have been sending me a hundred dollars every week. If I had billed you as a customer, you would have received the same clippings for one-tenth the amount you pay. No wonder I’m grateful.