"Certainly. Why not? Libel suits are generally holdups."
"I think the 'Telegram' is right. Whatever Pierce says is news, and interesting news."
"You bet Parker would never have carried that if his holding corporation wasn't a heavy borrower in the Pierce banks."
"Maybe not. But I think we'll carry it."
"In the 'Clarion'?" almost shouted Ellis.
"Certainly. Let's have Wayne send a reporter around to Pierce. If Pierce won't give us an interview, we'll reprint the 'Telegram's,' with credit."
"We'd be cutting our own throats, and playing Pierce's game. Besides, stuff about ourselves isn't news."
Hal's inexperience had this virtue, that it was free of the besetting and prejudicial superstitions of the craft of print. "If it's interesting, it's the 'Clarion' kind of news."
Ellis, about to protest further, met the younger man's level gaze, and swallowed hard.
"All right," he said. "I'll tell Wayne."