Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-04-19

time, when it appears in print" said
that gentleman with more than usual
sternness, and again withdrew.
| But the very next day the excessive
comicality of another joke struck Miss
Burr with such force that another peal
of laughter responded to the blow. And
again Douglas, forgetting the reproof of
the day before, threw himself back in
his chair and prepared to listen, and
again silence reigned in the cubby-
holes and again the witticism was read
and again it was greeted with sounds of
/ rotation, much subdued it may be
! confessed, from the semicircle of unseen
/ hearers.
Lo! the result. A notice printed in
large letters and pla ed where it could
not fail to be seen by all parties inter
ested: "Reading of matter intended for
| publication in the''-no matter what
never intended to give the name, ''dur-
ing Office hours strictly forbidden"
''Horrid old thing" said Miss Margery
Burr when she beheld it. 81 don't
know what I'm going to do. It will be
impossible for me TO keep all the funny
things that pop into my head to myself.
Something dreadful will happen to me
know, if I'm compelled to. Something
that won't fit into the 'woman's funny
department at all. Oh Ishan't be able
to do it, I know I shan't. / shall be
obliged to break that rule even though
Pm discharged without recommend the
moment after"
But she managed to keep it for two
days. On the third, Douglas, feeling
the table that was between them begin
to shake, looked up to see her in a parox
ysm of silent laughter. In vain he shook
an admonishing finger at her. In vain
she struggled to obey the admonishing
finger Open flew her rosy little mouth,
and out gurgled the not-to-be imprisoned
laugh. Then she began to read, but
Douglas scissofed away as though his
life depended on the number of interest
ing items he secured from his exchanges
during the next five minutes, and scratch,
scratch, scratch went the pens in the
cubby- holes as though the lives of the
holders depended upon the number of
words they scratched off in the same
amount of time.
The door of the sanctum opened. Mr..
William Enderby appeared on the TIRES
hold. 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 a frown, she
burst out with: "Oh! I say, Billy,
don't be so outrageously cross" For
once the old mans equanimity was
SHAKEN. And no wonder, for never be-
fore in all the years of his life had any
one dared to reply to him with even a
suspicion of disrespect.
A strange look came into his face and
for an instant he regarded Miss Margery
Burr so keenly and steadily that that i'm
pertinent young woman almost sue
cumbed under his gaze. Then he
turned away and descended the stairway
that led to the street. 1t was well that
he did so as soon as he did, for if he had
not there would have been a man in
commissions in each one aof the semi
circled cubbyholes.
Immediately upon his departure Miss
Burr arose, donned her hat, jacket and
gloves, shook hands in the gravest man
ner with Douglas and also departed.
Two months passed away, during
the "Woman's Funny Department,
thereby subjecting himself to endless
gibes and jests on the part of his COM
patriots. But he consoled himself with
the thought that the old man had told
him that it was only to be a temporary
charge.
1t was a bright June noon. AS usual,
the old man and the senior editor had
gone 70 lunch, and also, as usual, when
his carriage had rolled away a chorus of
whats the news, Douglas?" from the
doors of the cubby holes greeted that
estimable young man. For a moment
he did not answer. His eyes were fixed
IN wide-opened surprise on a society
item in paper he held in his hand.
''The rews2" At length he exclaimed.
"Well, brace yourselves. Are you
braced? e-two-three-
"The formal announcement has been
made Of the engagement of the lovely
and talented Miss Margery Burr to Mr..
William Enderby, proprietor and manag-
ing editor of the. "-Detr0it Free
Press.