Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-08-05

viz muir uttfu
10 was JOY to be in tho quiet place
In the sunshine and the rain
AND we would feel it quite a grace
To he put there once again!
The Current.
MRS. WARMERS PURCHASE.
Mary Warner was therichest woman
IN California, il not, indeed, the richest
woman in the world. Her husband
had accumulated his fortune in rail.
road ventures, and had died before he
had time to lose it again, Possessed
OF sound sense, and blessed with
iudieious advisers, Mrs. Warner di-
vided her investments between inn.
proved Hesitate and government Sc
curities, and devoted herself 20 the
Improvement OF her leisure. Two
years after her husbands, death she
celebrated her fiiticth birthday. Her
house on California street was one
OF the most magnificent in San Fran
CISCO, but during the protracted inter-
vai OF her mourning it had not been
the scene OF any such festivities as its
generous size and costly garniture be-
fitted.
Mrs. Warner acceded to her friends
wishes and left her quiet home at
Menlo park to entertain all San Fran.
cisco at the Warner Palace without
great reluctance, but certainly with
out enthusiasm. The music, the flow-
ers and the supper were the best that
could behad. Mime. Luque, woman
who had subsidized from the brief pros.
perity of the Ranch Luque Mines int o
position of decent independence up
on Mrs. Warmers bounty, made all
the arrangements and relieved her
friend OF oven the task of entertaining
her guests.
Mrs. Warner ensconced herself in a
cosy corner of the conservatory, ac.
eompanied by Mr.. Richard Headly,
the managing editor OF the San Fran.
cisco journal. Mr.. Headiy was only
80 years old-ayoung man to control
the most important daily in San Fran
cisco-but his discretion and ability
had more than justified his advance
ment.
"Well, Dick" said Mrs. Warner,
tand why haven't you been down to
Menlo lately? You are not going to
forget your old friends now that you
are becoming great man, surely?"
"No, indeed, dear Mrs. Warner"
said Headley. "but the responsible
ties of my position, as what you call
"a great man keep me pretty busy.
You see, every man on the staff, from
the city editor to the sporting report
er, thinks that he would have filled
poor Duncan's berth infinitely better
than | do, and have to work with
both hands to keep out of trouble"
Il always knew you had it in you,
and I'm as proud and happy as can
be. But what IS this ( hear about the
Journal changing hands?"
'Im afraid it's true. eastman
wants to go abroad and loaf the rest
OF his life. and / don't blame him.
He's made more than enough money,
and he may as well enjoy it. Think
it will be bought by asyndicate, head.
ed by the Flynns."
..And how will that affect your"
Throw me oft in short order The
Flynns have never forgiven ME for at
lacking them when | was on the Her
aid, and they would give my chair to
old Parsons, anyway. There's no use
pretending don't feel badly about it,
because do. l shall have to start
fresh somewhere else, and shall hardly
have such luck again"
Mrs. Warner looked at him kindly,
and put her hand on his arm. 1t was
not a pretty hand; as a girls hand it
had been almost too round and dim
pied, and it had lost all of its shapli-
ness since then.
"Dick, how much does the journal
maker"
Fifty thousand year in round
numbers. Sometimes there are big
subsidies that run it over that, but
fifty thousand is fair estimate"
And how much does Mr. eastman
expect to get from this syndicate for
the paper?"
"1'hey talk about capitalizing it at
10000 shares at S160 each, but j
think about 100000 will come to
eastman. The paper is worth that
fairly enough"
..And what are your plans, Dick?
You talk about making fresh start,
but where will you make it?'
81 think shall go east. Reece, the
man who writes the colurnof causene
every Sunday, you know, wants to go
back to England, and he is anxious to
have me 60 with him. But | don't
fancy making such o change. / have
written so much Americanese that
don't think / could get into the swing
OF the formal English style; and then
il seems like running away, too"
"Dick, I'm going to be great socie-
ty woman now Nine. Luque wants
me to 90 abroad and live at Nice-but
Pm like you, fond of my own country
and mean to live here and make the
house pleasant for young people. That
is what a rich old woman ought to do
isn't it?"
"Old woman, indeed You're as
young as any ofus now, Mrs. Warner
"Indeed Pm not. Pm developing a
taste for buttered toast-and that
settles the matter, Mr.. Duffon says.
But I'm going to entertain great
deal, all the same-and I'm dreadful
ly afraid OF the society columns in the
Journal. Suppose they should say
that the flowers at this reception only
cost 5000 instead of 500. It's an
awful power, that society column, and
T should like to propitiate 1t. why
shouldn't i buy the Journal, DickY
II would il were you-five cents a
copy or Is cents q week. / thought
YOU did, already"
..No, I'm not joking at all. II 1t is
S7OO, 900 have that much IN shape
that could use it, and you could be
my sole editor. Will your? :,
..No, Mrs Warner, won't. ltwouid
not be q wise investment. it pays
well, and all that, but a newspaper is
such a ticklish property--so easily de-
stroyed-that it ought not to be own
ed by any one who doesn't run It.
One months laundering would take
so per cent. off the value OF the Jour
nal.
but you are not blunderer. Lis
ten to me, Dick. ] am not doing this
for YOU; would really like to own a
newspaper. There is somethinggrand
about it. | would not buy it II you
were not here to run it for me. But
know that it will pay me better
than any investment have
now. and il | didn'. make