The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-05-16

and formal way, introduced her to
Douglas as Miss Margery Burr, gave
her few directions in his time ism t..
worth-any-thing voice and disappeared
in his sanctum.
Miss Margery Burr proved great
acquisition to the paper on which she
was engaged Her witty articles-were-
quoted far and wide. and she edited the
witty articles Of others in such skill
full manner that they were twice as
good when they left, her hands as when
they came into it.
{ The Woman's Funny Department
was a success--a grand success Miss
Burr knew it was, and she knew she
had made it one No one appreciated
her more than she appreciated her.
self Her own jokes amused her inn
mensely, and she had way, when
she had written something that struck
her as irresistibly droll, of bursting
into the jolliest of musical laughs, and
then reading il in clear, musical
voice to McGregor Douglas And the
moment that laugh was heard, there
was nothing heard in that semi-ci Gle
laof cubby holes or rabbit hutches until
the point Of the joke was reached.
Then various sounds OF merriment es-
capped from them.
.. Ha! has hal"
He-he-he.
-f.s Haw-hawr'
pss(,np1 " Off of of
The fourth time this performance
took place the sancttim door opened
slowly and the old man came quietly
out, but not so quietly, however, but
that five or six pairs OF ears caught
the=seaaa- OF hiszfeeesteps and drowned
them at once in the loud scratching of
pens, at the same moment that Douglas
seized an illustration designed for a
transfer and shipped it in two with
great appearance OF interest in his
work. But did Miss Margery Burr
bend quick ly9overss her writing q,
SIR. No, ma am. She looked directly
at the old man, her long silken lashes
we'll uplifted from her mischief-full
gray eyes, and said '.Oh, Mr.. Ender-
by, would you like to hear it, too?"
81 shall be content to enjoy it at the
proper time, when it appears in
print said that gentleman. with more
than usual sternness. and again with
drew.
But the very next day the excessive
comicatity of anotner joke struck Miss
Burr with such force that another peal
Of laughter fesponded to the blow.
And again Douglas, forgetting the re-
proof Of the day before, threw himself
back in his chair and prepared to
listen, and again silence reigned in the
eubby- holes or rabbit hatches, and
again the witticism was read and
again it was greeted with sounds OF
appreciation, much subdued it may be
confessed, from the semicircle of I'M
seen hearers.
Lo! tho result A notice printed in
large letters and placed where it could
not fail to be seen by all parties inter-
ested: Reading of matter intended
for publication in the --noA matter
what never intended to give the
name, during Office hours strictly
forbidden.
''Horrid old thing!" said Miss Mar
gerry Burr when she beheid it. II
don't know what I'm going to do. 1t
will be impossible for me to keep all
the funny things that pop into my head
to myself. Something dreadful will
happen to me, l know, if I'm compelled
to- Something that won't fit into the
woman $ funny department at all.
Oh, shan't be able to do it! know
| shan,t! / shall be obliged to break
that=rule,= even though discharged
without recommendation the. mo-
ment after" -.
| But she managed to keep it for two
days. On the third, Douglas, feeling
the table that was between them be-
gin to shake, looked up TO see her in "a
paroxysm OF silent laughter In vain
he shook an admonishing finger at
her In vain she struggled to'tepey
the admonishing finger. Open new
her rosy little mouth, and out gurgled
the-not-to-be imprisoned laugh. Then
she began to read, but Douglas
scissored away as though his life de-
pended on tho number OF interesting
items he secured from his exchanges
during the next five minutes, and
scratch, scratch, scratch went the
pens in the eubby holes or rabbit
hutches. as@%5though the lives of the
holders depended. upon the number OF
words they scratched off in the same
amount Of time.
Ths door of the sanctum opened.
Mr.. William Enderby appeared on the
threshold. Slowly he advanced toward
the delinquent Slowly she raised
her eyes to his face, and then, as he
looked at her with something very
like afrnwn, she burst out with: "Oh!
say. Billy, don't be 50 outrageeusly
cross" For once theeld man s equan-
unity was shaken. And no wonder,
for never before. in all the years Of
his life. had any one dared TO reply to
i him with aa=suspieion of d.sre-
spect. -
I. A strangeiook came into his lace,
and for an Instant he regarded Miss
Margerys Burr SO keenly and steadily
that that impertinent young woman
almost succumbed under his gaze.
Then no turned away and descended
1.-THE stairway that led to tho street.
Immediately upon his departure, and
it was we'll that he did so as soon AZ
he did, for ii he had not there would
have been "a man in commissions in
each one of the semi-circled cubby
7 holes.
Immediately upon his departure
Miss Burr arose, donned her hat
jacket and gloves, shook hands in, thu
gravest manner with Douglas, ane
| .ls...s n. Flx.1