"One of Dr. Surtaine's alia—one of the names he does business under. Every other paper in town gets their copy. We don't. Hence the roast."
"What sort of business is it?"
"Relief Pills. Here's the ad. in this morning's 'Banner.'"
The name struck chill on Hal's memory. He stared at the sinister oblong of type, vaguely sensing in its covert promises the taint, yet failing to apprehend the full villainy of the lure.
"Whatever the advertising is," said he, "the principle is the same."
"Precisely," chirped Ellis.
"And you call that decent journalism?"
"No: my extremely youthful friend, I do not. What's more, I never did."
"If you want a retraction published," said Sterne, spreading wide his hands as one offering fealty, "wouldn't it be just as well to preface it with an announcement of the taking-over of the paper by yourself?"
"That itself would be tantamount to an announced reversal of policy," mused Hal.