Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-12-06

Edward Walston sauntered into the office
to see if there was any extra assignment for
the evening. He had been directed to report
the meeting of the Society for Supplying
Overcoats to the Hottentots, but as that
would doubtless be brief. he could easily at
Send to something else. Quite unaccountably
b. vague idea had entered his mind that his
services would be needed.
In this he was not disappointed On his
desl, Law a note from the city editor. He
opened it, and read as follows:
My DEAR Mr.. WALsroN-There are rumors that
Mrs Henry DoncGstcr of 1G Blank avenue, will
bring suit against her husband for divorce. got
the hint from Somotes, the lawyer. Both parties,
YOU know, stand high in society, and we can use
al you can get OF the case. e. B w.
\ B-Never mind tine IIottentot society charity
business.
Walston softly whsted n note of ostonsh-
ment as he read the words. He re-read 1T
and whisrled again. Then he sat down, knit
ted his brow, and gazed quite steadily at the
ink bottle in front Of him. ''Shsll go or
shall notg' he asked, but the ink bottle did
not answer. He repeated the question, but
the ink bottle was as dumb as ever. Sudden
lv he grabbed a pen and the ink bottle grew
more communicative This is what it began
TO say:
DEAR Mr. Win very sorry, but certain so
ral connections make it impossible for Inc to at
tend to that Case--
Here tho ink ceased to flow. Walston
stopped writing. grabbed the sheet OF paper
and tore IL up.
"No," he said, "Ill go. Better I than
stranger"
He put on his hat and left the room. A
tall. well formed. solid looking, self reliant
fellow be was. and he made a striking figure
10 ct, Sa,.pro1 ac-
ouaintances bowed, but he returned their
greetings formally and somewhat coldy, and
walked along as if his mind was not with the
crowd II wasn't. 1t was occupied with the
rasa that had been 50 suddenly thrust upon
his attention.
II was strange situation for any man,
but it was only one of the many curious ex-
parionces that make a newspaper career so
full of interest and so barren of monotony.
There is no vocation that has i'll it as many
contrasts. All kinds of people are met; all
Shades OF crime and virtue, all phases of hui
man nature and human character, come
within the range of u reporters observation.
lie secs the .mallncss and the bigness Of life,
the sunlight and the shadow, the humility
and the vanity. Today in politics, tomor
row at church; in the morning at funeral,
in the afternoon at Il wedding, in the even
ing at the theatre, with It's light and MINI
iCry. Aud 50 the round goes, from life and
laughter to sorrow and the grave, from
death or divorr. 10 the music of gay throngs
and the joy Of happy anniversaries.
At first his syupathies respond TO the cir
Cumstauces. but as the days and weeks and
months and year, bring their succession Of
events. there comes n hardening of the sus-
capabilities, and the reporter begins to look
upon his work the surgeon does upon lis
prOfess.ou-he has no right to feel only to
see and do lie must dissect and describe
but not sYmpathle. Goodness is what he
needs. not emotion And yet all the stolidity
in the world does not avail when scandal
touches those who are near to him. lie is one
of the most sensitive persons in the world,
with "A wholesome horror of the newspaper
notoriety that he helps to manufacture, and
q keen contempt for those who like it, Wal
ston was such a man. ii he had been sent to
report case in which he had no personal ac-
quaintance. he would have done his work
with hi, usual unconceru; he would have
gotten the facts, and written them up for all
they We're worth.
But this affair was different. He knew
Henry Doncaster and Margaret Doncaster.
Mrs. Doncaster was his cousin. Mr. Doncas-
ter had been his room mate ut college for four
years. The Walston home was then one Of
famed hospitality. Here he and Henry spent
large part of their vacations. Here Mar
gareu visited the Watson family. Here the
courtship began. Edward saw and aided its
progress, and enjoyed its contamination by
acting as best man and practically superin-
tending the whole wedding; ''for,' they said
10 him, "unless you are III it, we shall not
feel that we are quite married. In Il month
their path and his path had divcrged, and all
the old days We're us a memory that glowed
brightly in tho evening Of bachelor inedita-
ton but vanished when the day came on
with the care aud competition of business
And now that memory was to be blurred by
divorce. 1t was really too bad, and some
thing must be done 10 mead it off, or at least
to soften the notoriety that n sensational pub
location would cause.
Within a half hour after he left tho ofics
he was on tine doorstep OF Il big brown stone
hous, lie rang the bell The man who
opened it was evidently an old family servant
for lOol, Of real pleasure beamed III his fac,
when he saw who the visitor was.
flames, how are you"
"Why. Master Edward, when did you ge
back to the cityN
"Oh, "a week or ago. Are the folks a
home"
'Y-e-s, sir" said James, slowly, as hi
face frightened INTO an expression or decided
unaasiness
"Well want to see them
"l'l tell them, sir; but I'm afraid"-
"Never mind that. ] know. But l mus
see them both. Here are two cards. TAX
enc to each without letting the other know o
it. Tell Mr. Doncaster first, and then Mrs
Doncaster. You understands
"YeS, sir"
"Then be sure you do it correctly"
Walston sank into a chair and gazed quiet
upon the elegant surroundings. He did nc
notice much. however, for he was thinkin