The Breaking Point (46 page)

"Want you!" he said. "More than anything on this earth."

Bassett was at his desk in the office. It was late, and the night
editor, seeing him reading the early edition, his feet on his desk,
carried over his coffee and doughnuts and joined him.

"Sometime," he said, "I'm going to get that Clark story out of you. If
it wasn't you who turned up the confession, I'll eat it."

Bassett yawned.

"Have it your own way," he said indifferently. "You were shielding
somebody, weren't you? No? What's the answer?"

Bassett made no reply. He picked up the paper and pointed to an item
with the end of his pencil.

"Seen this?"

The night editor read it with bewilderment. He glanced up.

"What's that got to do with the Clark case?"

"Nothing. Nice people, though. Know them both."

When the night editor walked away, rather affronted, Bassett took up the
paper and reread the paragraph.

"Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wheeler, of Haverly, announce the engagement of
their daughter, Elizabeth, to Doctor Richard Livingstone."

He sat for a long time staring at it.