Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-04-25
SOH! [ SAY, BILLY"
Romance Of the Old Man and His
Pretty Editress.

Romance Of the Old Man and His.
Pretty Editress.
The old man had gone to his lunch.
He wasn't an old man, but that Is
what every body in that vast estab-
lishment, from the senior editor down
to the printers devil, called him-be-
hind his back. In point of fact, he
was young man, not more than three
though in consequence of
his dignified bearing and exceedingly
grave, quiet demeanor he might have
been, and usually was, taken for five
years older at least He was a tall.
slow-moving, good-looking man with
an air of suppressed power about him
-the sort of a man it was hard to
think of as once having been a small
boy in knickerbockers, let alone a
baby in long clothes. He had dark
blue, rather near-sighted eyes-but
woe TO him who tried to take advan-
tage of their near-sightedness-
straight, dark hair, a firm, we'll
formed mouth and strong, decided
chin. And when he spoke, which was,
in business hours, at least, as seldom
as possible, it was in slow, measured
way that at times became a drawL
Judging Mr.. William Enderby by his
manner of speaking and moving, one
would have come to the conclusion
that time was with him a minor con-
sideration altogether. But was it? I
should rather think not. Next to the
old man the clock reigned supreme in
that great publishing house.
But, whatever feeling every body
entertained toward the despotic clock,
1t is certain that every body, though
more or less in fear of him, respected,
yes. and liked the old man. He was so
thoroughly honest and honorable
meant what he said-did what he
thought right, and exacted from no
one in his employ jot more than he
thought it his or her duty to do. In
proof of the latter assertion he did not
exact from some of them as much as
he did himself,
Nell, the Old mans carriage had
rolled away, with the old man and the
senior editor in it to the hotel where,
they both being bachelors, they took
their midday meal. and, as it rolled
away, the doors of the editorial
rooms, that had been shut, opened,
and those that had been open, opened
still wider.
These cubby holes or, as r Rider
pronounced Reeder) Hasgard calls
them. rabbit hutches," formed q
semi-circle around the main office and
were directly opposite the sanctum
sa0ctorum of the old man. At the
large table in the main office Met regor
Douglas. picker up of considered lit
erarg trifles and writer of crisp para
graphs. had his place.
What's the news. Douglas?" called
q voice from one of the cubby holes OF
rabbit hutches.
Dcaglaa. q long-legged. bright
faced young fellow, threw down the
exchange he was perusing with
lightning glance and replied cheerily:
News as lis news. We're to have q
funny department exclusively 70.
women Nothing to be admitted in i,
but the queer thoughts, sayings and
doings Of the unfair SEX"
This announcement was followed BY
questions and exclamations in voices
from all the .cubby-holes or rabbit
hutcheS
'Great heavens! it will take up the
whole paper"
''Oh! come: arn't you fooling?"
Whose idea is it?"
elbow do you know?"
''WhO is to have charge of it?''
''Iive me time and Til tell YOU -
.aHii Douglas -'lt's the old mans
iEe;l l heard him talking to the
senior about it In fact 1 deliberately
Listened when I should have been
minding my own business" tCries OF
Shame! shame!' from all the cubby,
holes or rabbit hutches.} The old
man; Douglas goes on. thinks St will
take. So do IL
''Thst settles il
I.How much space f. It to occup5Y'
'.tAre We to be enlarged7"
Doubled. you mean; no. less Will
do"
mo. in6.ed, for rum creeters Is
women as che dirty-faoed man in
Pickwick observed.
"Go on. Douglas, Douglas. tender
and true"
"rll go on if you'll stop your In
5eraal racket" says the ''tender and