The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-04-11

SSsSe
and formal way, introduced her to
Douglas as Miss Margery Burr, gave
her few directions in his time-isn'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 II
Tho Woman's Funny Department
was q success-a grand success. Miss
Burr knew It was, and she knew she
had made it one No ono appreciated
her more than she appreciated her
self. Her own jokes amused her i'm
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-circle
OF cubby holes or rabbit hutches until
the point Of the joke was reached.
Then various sounds Of merriment es.
capped from them.
"Ha! ha! ha!'
He-he-he"
Haw-haw!''
Good etc. etc. ek
The fourth time this performance
took place the sanctum door opened
slowly and the old man came quietly
out, but not SO quietly, however, but
that Eve or six pairs OF ears caught
the sound Of his footsteps and drowned
them at once in the loud scratching of
pens, at the same moment that Douglas
seized an illustration designed for .
transfer and shipped 1t in two with q
great appearance OF interest in his
work. But did Miss Margery Burr
bend quickly over her writingP No.
SIR No. ma'am. She looked directly
at the old man, her long silken lashes
we'll uplifted from her inischief-full
gray eyes. and said: ''Oh. Mr.. Ender-
by. would you like to hear 1t, too?'
Il shall be content to enjoy 1t 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
comicality of another joke struck Miss
Burr with such force that another peal
OF laughter responded 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 relgned in the
cubby holes or rabbit hutches. 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 un-
seen hearers.
Lo! the 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"-no matter
what never intended to give thu
name. during Office hours strict,
forbidden"
"Horrid old thing!" said Miss Mar
gerry Burr when che behe!d 1t. q
don't know what I'm going to do. /
will be impossible for me to keep al
the funny things that pop into my heat
to myself Something dreadful vii
happen to me. / know, If I'm compelled
to. Something that won't fit into tn,
'woman's funny department at all
Oh, / shan't be able to do it! know
l shan't! / shall be obliged to breal
that rule, even though I'm discharge.
without recommendation the mo
ment after"
But she managed to keep it for tw,
days. On the third, Douglas, feeling
the table that was between them be
gin to shake, looked up to see her in ,
paroxysm of silent laughter. In vail
he shook an admonishing finger q
her. In vain she struggled to oos.
the admonishing finger. Open fiev
her rosy little mouth, and out gurgle,
the not-to-bo imprisoned laugh. The
she began 70 read, but Dougla
scissored away as though his life de
pended on the number of interesting
items he secured from his exchange
during the next five minutes, an,
scratch, scratch, scratch went tn
pens in the cubby holes or rabbi
hutches. as though the lives Of tn
holders depended upon the number q
words they scratched OF In the sam
amount of time.
The door Of the sanctum opened
Mr.. William Enderby appeared on tn
threshold. Slowly he advanced towar
the delinquent Slowly she raise
her eyes to his face, and then, as |.
looked at her with something yer
like q frown, she burst out with: ..Of
say. Billy. don't be 80 outrageousl
cross" For once the old man 8 equar
unity was shaken. And no wonder
for never before, in all the years {
his life. had any one dared to reply I
him with even q suspicion OF disrt
spect.
A strange look came into his fact
and for an instant he regarded Nil
Margery Burr SO keenly and steadil
that that impertinent young woma
almost succumbed under his gaz'
Then he turned away and descende
the stairway that led to the stree
Immediately upon his departure. an
1t was we'll that he did SO as soon &
he did, for If he had not there woul
have been q man in commissions !
each ono OF the semi-circled cubh
holes ...
Immediately upon his departur
Miss Burr arose, donned her ha
jacket and gloves, shook hands in tt
gravest manner with Douglas, &C
also departed.
! Two months passed away, durip