CHAPTER IV.
NEW YORK Of the many completely happy periods of Richard's life there were few more joyous than the first years he spent as a reporter in New York.
For the first time he was completely his own master and paying his own way--a condition which afforded him infinite satisfaction.

He was greatly attached to Brisbane and as devoted to the interests of The Evening Sun as if he had been the editor and publisher.

In return Brisbane gave him a free rein and allowed him to write very much what and as he chose.

The two men were constantly together, in and out of office hours, and planned many of the leading features of the paper which on account of the brilliancy of its news stories and special articles was at that time attracting an extraordinary amount of attention.

Richard divided his working hours between reporting important news events, writing specials (principally about theatrical people), and the Van Bibber stories, nearly all of which were published for the first time in The Evening Sun.