For this pink thing was the
symbol and result of the whole affair, and had the effect of a miracle
on him.
And he said to himself, never guessing how many thousands of men had
said it before him, that a newspaper was the finest toy in the world.
About four o'clock the publisher, in shirt sleeves and an apron, came up
to Mr Myson and respectfully asked him to step into the publishing
office. Mr Myson stepped into the publishing office and Denry with him,
and they there beheld a small ragged boy with a bleeding nose and a
bundle of _Dailys_ in his wounded hand.
"Yes," the boy sobbed; "and they said they'd cut my eyes out and plee
[play] marbles wi' 'em, if they cotched me in Crown Square agen," And he
threw down the papers with a final yell.
The two directors learnt that the delicate threat had been uttered by
four _Signal_ boys, who had objected to any fellow-boys offering
any paper other than the _Signal_ for sale in Crown Square or
anywhere else.
Of course, it was absurd.
Still, absurd as it was, it continued. The central publishing offices of
the _Daily_ at Hanbridge, and its branch offices in the
neighbouring towns, were like military hospitals, and the truth appeared
to the directors that while the public was panting to buy copies of the
_Daily_, the sale of the _Daily_ was being prevented by means
of a scandalous conspiracy on the part of _Signal_ boys.
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