bespectacled apparition who

Out of conscious nothing, as represented by the now moribund News, there was provoked one evening a large, round, middle-aged, smiling, bespectacled apparition who named himself as Rudy Sheffer and invited himself to a job. Marrineal had sent him to Severance, and Severance, ever tactful, had brought him to Banneker. Russell Edmonds being called in, the three sat in judgment upon the Big Idea which Mr. Sheffer had brought with him and which was: "Give 'em a laugh." "The potentialities of humor as a circulation agency," opined Severance in his smoothest academic voice, "have never been properly exploited." "A laugh on every page where there ain't a thrill," pursued Sheffer confidently. "You find some of our pages dull?" asked Banneker, always interested in any new view. "Well, your market page ain't no scream. You gotta admit it." "People don't usually want to laugh when they're studying the stock market," growled Edmonds. "Surprise 'em, then. Give 'em a jab in the ribs and see how they like it. Pictures. Real comics. Anywhere in the paper that there's room for 'em." "There's always a cartoon on the editorial page," pointed out Banneker. "Cartoon? What does that get you? A cartoon's an editorial, ain't it?" Russell Edmonds shot a side glance at Banneker, meaning: "This is no fool. Watch him." "Makes 'em think, don't it?" pursued the visitor. "If it tickles 'em, that's on the side. It gets after their minds, makes 'em work for what they get. That's an effort. See?" "All right. What's your aim?" "Not their brains. I leave that to Mr. Banneker's editorials. I'm after the laugh that starts down here." He laid hand upon his rotund waistcoat. "The belly-laugh."