The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-27
BONTAVE.
CHAPTER 1.

John HollinShead, editor and proprie- tor of the Snackburg Weekly Defender, was not distinguished looking man, although he seemed to imagine that cui- tivated neglect of dress, such as showing the bow oi his necktie around under his ear or huttoning his vest wrong, con- tributed literary air to his general make up." Several of his paragraphs, slightly altered from the original, having gone the rounds" he cherished the hope that he was becoming the Heading American humerist." He had a knack of writing miserable verses in commenting on slatterly rhyme, clipped from the sheet of mutual admirer," and was such an adept punster that intelligent people often crossed the street to avoid meeting him. In spite of all this, the Deftndey con- tinued to make fair living for its pro- Prietor, more the result, however, of the county delinquent tax list and half page advertisements of merchants who were determined to sell out below cost, than of any other feature published by tn. fimsy sheet.
 Shortly after the Defen9ey had en. tered upon the fifth year of its existence an event celebrated in the usual way we have passed the sixth mile stone on the journalistic road," for instance Hollinshead neglected his business long enough to fall in love with the handsome Miss Bontave Glowerman, in who pretty head revolved the idea that she was born especially for the performance Of some great newspaper feat; still, she did not give the editor that generous burst of encouragement which removes all doubt. The enraptured man was persistent, and in the warmth and strangeness of the new attachment, he lost sight of six hundred and twenty fee, of lumber due in payment of an adver. tisement inserted by the owner of saw mill. Miss Glowerman was not wealthy in fact, her father owed for a years sub. scription, yet, in the very glare of these faults John Hollinshead, editor and pro. prietor of the HieekIy Dtftnder, would have taken the enhancing creature in his arms and pressed her to a heart not wholly unknown to commendable emo. tions.
 I should be in my editori Ii room righ, now," said Hollinshead one night, while near him, before cheerful fire, sat Bon. tave, radiant in the consciousness of hei fascination.
 She looked up with bewitching little air of astonishment.
 "Yes," continued the editor, "1 should be there this minute. have a lot oi humorous writing to do, and besides should sit in judgment upon the destiny of an essay written by an aspiring young lady,"
 The reference to an essay aroused a new interest, or rather made more alive an old one, for throwing off the assumed air of astonishment, she became natural in an easerness which arose superior to all her arts and graces.
 "Are you going to publish it ?'' she asked.
 ooh, 1 don't know yet. To determine whether or not an article possesses liter ary merit requires almost as much thought as the writing of the article itself. Sometimes" he continued, swelling with importance, "we editors make mistakes, in that er-in that we fail to see the merit of production and consequently kill it."
 "Yes," she rejolned, and sometimes, when you publish an article, the reader failsto see the merit"
 Possibly, yes, possibly so. We edi- tors are not incapable of committing error, but, taking into consideration the responsibility which-er which rests upon our shoulders" reaching over and pulling oack ms natr Ike young lawyer trying to make profound impression on a ustice Of the peace, "we do extremely well. Just think for moment. We have the making and unmaking ot men. Last week, you remember, gave the leading man of the Sickles Dramatic company little dig, and would not be surprised to hear that he has been discouraged, but my dear, Miss -, ah, excuse me [" He had touched her hand. "J say, it was my duty to touch him up, for we ed tors have the welfare of the public to some extent in our keeping"
 How would like to be recognized