showed his instant recognition of its significance by snatching out his watch, pushing a button, and saying to Garland, who came to the door in his shirt-*sleeves:
"Tell Nic to hold the first edition for a five-column first-page cartoon. And send this up right away."
They had a last look at it before it went, and after gazing a moment in silence Hardy said:
"It's the greatest thing you ever did, Kit, and it comes at the psychological moment. It'll elect him."
"Oh, he was elected anyhow."
Hardy shook his head, and in the movement Kittrell saw how the strain of the campaign had told on him. "No, he wasn't; the way they've been hammering him is something fierce; and the Telegraph—well, your cartoons and all, you know."
"But my cartoons in the Telegraph were rotten. Any work that is not sincere, not intellectually honest—"
Hardy interrupted him:
"Yes; but, Kit, you're so good that your rotten is better than 'most anybody's best." He smiled, and Kittrell blushed and looked away.
