Of the six, three were tipsy, and the other three absolutely
declined to be seen selling papers in the streets. Two were abusive, one
facetious. Mr Myson did not know his Five Towns; nor did Denry. A Five
Towns' man, when he can get neither bread nor beer, will keep himself
and his family on pride and water. The policemen went off to more
serious duties.
III
Then came the announcement of the thirty-fifth anniversary of
the _Signal_, and of the processional _fete_ by which the
_Signal_ was at once to give itself a splendid spectacular
advertisement and to reward and enhearten its boys. The _Signal_
meant to liven up the streets of the Five Towns on that great day by
means of a display of all the gilt chariots of Snape's Circus in the
main thoroughfare. Many of the boys would be in the gilt chariots.
Copies of the anniversary number of the _Signal_ would be sold from
the gilt chariots. The idea was excellent, and it showed that after all
the _Signal_ was getting just a little more afraid of its young
rival than it had pretended to be.
For, strange to say, after a trying period of hesitation, the _Five
Towns Daily_ was slightly on the upward curve--thanks to Denry.
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