"It's the newspapers we have to look out for. Everything else is easy."
He conducted the detective, who had finished telephoning, into the library, set out drinks and cigars for him and returned. Nothing further was said until Ellis arrived. The associate editor's face, as he looked from the dead girl to Hal, was both sorrowful and stern. But he was there to act; not to judge or comment. He consulted his watch.
"Eleven forty-five," he said. "Better give out the story to-night."
"Why not wait till to-morrow?" asked Dr. Surtaine.
"The longer you wait, the more it will look like suppressing it."
"But we want to suppress it."
"Certainly," agreed Ellis. "I'm telling you the best way. Fix the story up for the 'Clarion' and the other papers will follow our lead."
"If we can arrange a story that they'll believe—" began Hal.
"Oh, they won't believe it! Not the kind of story we want to print. They aren't fools. But that won't make any difference."
"I should think it would be just the sort of possible scandal our enemies would catch at."