News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-08-27
The Staff Of the BriggSVillG BugIG.
BY WILLIAM EARLE BALDWIN.

BY WILLIAM EARLE BALDWIN.
Bernard Bergeois was startled. II
, jumped visibly, and nearly dropped
handful of type he was taking from
galley to the form on the imposing
stone. 1t was incompatible with til
dignity of the foreman ofthe mechan
ical department of the Briggsvill
Bugle to lose his selfcontrol IN tm
way, and he looked around uneasil,
as fuffy-haired girl at case nea
by sniggered and made a whispered
remark to another compositor; the1
they looked at him and laughed.
What made the foreman Jump was
a whistle from the speaking moi
far from his ear He did not immedi
ately obey the summons, and another
whistle more pronounced a.s3 longer
than the first made him glue his
mouth to the tube and brawl back
"Hellop'
"Come into myroom at once. Don't
you understand"
Bernand Bergeois thought he un.
derstOod, and taking off his apron
went into the hallway. From an ad.
Joining room he heard the clicking ot
a typewriter, at intervals with a
steady "plunk" and then with brief
intermissions of silence He hesita-
ted before knocking at the closed
door; for when the "old man. used
his machine that way it was an office
maxim that he was in a bad temper
And the cold man" was in a bad
temper when Bernard Bergeois mus
| tered up enough courage to face HIM.
His eyes cleaned through a pair of
gold-bowed spectacles, and his hair,
which was turning gray, was rumpled
over his forehead. He gave the tardv
| foreman a reprimand for his sloWness
and then made a remark that quite
upset Bernard Begeois. "Send every
body home," he said
81 don't think [ quite understand,
SIR faltered the foreman. ''It is but
a little after 4 O'Clock"
"That makes no difference. Can't
you hear? Send every one away from
here except my office boy. That's
plain enough, isn't it?''
y
would absently strike key with his
finger, and then look up and jerk out
few words.
'But there are five columns to set
began the bewildered foreman.
Come earlier in the morning then,
| don't want anybody around now.
How can 81 man write with those
presses out there making such an
everlasting noise, and you people in
the composing room giggling and
making the devel of a racket? Why
don't you have better discipline out
there?'
Bernard Bergeois had no answer
ready. He was quite nonplused.
Never before in the course Of his pro-
fessional career had he received such
an order as this. "Send everybody
homeI' was the cold man" going
insane? Did he not know that to-
morrow was publication day?
'There are five colun fns-" he be-
can; send ;aarie5fi Your i've 511s Taz to the
ducel'' interrupted the other furious
Iy. L don't care whether there are
five columns or fifty, so fong asevery
one of you gets out of here. Send me
my office bovl'
Now the office boy, who, by the
way, was named Cox, but who was
known to his intimate friends as
"Swipesey," was much more pleased
with the orders he had received than
the worthy foreman. He went down
into the lower office and sat in an
easy chair, with his feet on the uesk
in front of him and watched the
other employees file out with lordly
air.
'HOpe you have a very pleasant
time" he said politely to the fluffy
haired compositor We can run this
office alone this afternoon, we can. l
writes the eddytorials and sets them
up. The old man he's writing impor-
tant letters and can't be disturbed.
Good-afternoon."
Cox made himself comfortable in
the easiest chair he could find, and
amused himself by looking over a
| pile of exchanges on desk at hand.
Presently this began to bore him,
and he began rummaging about the
room. 1t was seldom that he was in
the lower office alone, and he amused
himself by climbing up on a stool,
| and taking a pen and ink and scrlb-
bling on some of the office paper.
81 can do this, when | am one of
the eddytors," he chuckled to him
self.
Just then he heard some one COM
ing up the stairs slowly and turn
in at the door of the Office. Heraised
his head and looked over the desk,
and saw n woman standing there.
She had a very pale face, but was
very handsome. She looked at the
boy YEARLY.
''Is the editor in?" she asked.
"Well that depends, said Swipesey
still scribbling vigorously and look
ing up between dabs at the white pa.
per before him. (Which one do you
want to see?"
The woman sighed wearily, and
then said with an effort, "Mr. Girls
wold."
II am very sorry" began the boy
hitching his stool little forward
and grabbing his cap off, and laying
it carefully down before him. "but
he is very busy-very busy indeed
and gave orders that he was not tc
be disturbed. If there is anything
can do-and he paused eXpectantly
"Nothing," she replied, and sal
down in a chair near the window
"Will you please tell him lady il
waiting to see him when he is at liber
typ"
Now the office boy scarcely knew
what to do He did not exactly car
to go up stairs on an errand lik,
that; it would ruin his dignity, afte
the remarks he had already made
: Besides, the editor was in a hast,
temper, and might throw an ink bot
tie at him, or something, if disturbed
The speaking-tube-there was hi
: salvationl He jumped from the higl
stool and yelled the message up
There was no reply, but it answered
every purpose, and he turned to tn
lady and said: Every good; he will
see you when he is not busy; but yo1
may have to wait"
This was the first time that Swipe
sey had seen the lady face to face
and he started little, and looked a
her again. Then he put his hand
behind him and stared at the foo
for a moment. 81 know who yo
are" he said presently.
"You are his wife"
The woman looked up quickly an
raised one of her hands to her fore