The National tribune., 1892-12-08

/ accentless voice.
"Certainlyr-chest out again "But''-head
thrown back-"1 am not that kind of man.
| Unless, OF course, she forces me to it. L Will
treat her with the gallantry due her sex. l
| will aid her all can consistently. To be sure,
she must fail in the end, but the evil day can
be STAYED off considerably. OF course she must
| not enter into warfare with me. That could
| mean the humiliation of the PldRdedter."
Azherry made no reply.
Perhaps had better go over and call on
her now" said Potter. and left the sanctum.
| Upon the morrow both papers went to press.
In the PdjadeaIcr office the two lads who
composed the papers working force had done
their best. They had put Margie's modest an
nouucement in type and placed it at the head
of the editorial page, had raked together few
news items on their own account and these,
with the scanty number which Ike Henshaw
had brought in and the several contributed by
Potter, together with Margie's poor little bio.
graphical sketch of her dead father, made quite
brave showing, after the boys had added a
couple Of columns of plate matter and several
lOng-since dead" patent medicine electro
types. Then the old Washington hand-prcss
had creazed and gr0aned. and the first edition
of the Zenith City Pldiadeqler under Margie
Enfeld's editorship had been run of"
The little woman had had but scanty time
for grief. The paper must be gotten ont on
ill1G AiAGi al, IL Was SOOu iiSi W w
Her eyes were dim rs she wrote the wrappers
and folded the still moist sheets, but busy
hands keep the heart from sinking wholly.
She did not realize what pitifully poor
affair the first issue of the paper under her
management really was. The praise of the
boys was unstinted, and Margie could not
but feel sad pride in her work. And, then,
the hands that had been held out to her in
herneed were warm and strong. The optimism
of the boys. the slow, laundering encourage
ment of Ike Henshaw and the somewhat pat
ronizing chivalrv of Potter had all seemed
good.
The boys estimate of Potter as hard and
pitiless fighter and Henshaw's slow reference
to him as hustler had exalted Mr.. Potter
to somewhat too-lofty pedestal in her un-
tutored estimation. And thus it came to pass
that his egotism went undetected by her, and
his kindness won IFS full need of appreciation.
1t was good of this talented man to be so kind
to her.
'She is bright-faced, honest little woman"
Potter told Azberry after his call upon her, but
she cannot succeed. We must do what we can
for her, but / fear that six weeks at the most,
will see the end of her struggle But it shall
not be said that crushed her,"
Azberry answered nothing
Potter was genuinely concerned for the girl S
future. He wondered if he had not better call
upon her the following afternoon. Azberry
said he didn't know, and Potter made the pro-
posed call.
Presently he was seated at the opposite side
of the editorial table from the giri-edltor, Jot
ting down few local items for her paper.
And when Henshaw came into the office little
later ne interrupted Potter as he was gazing re-
fectively at the brown head opposite him,
bent little over the copy" she was writing.
Henshaw dropped in each afternoon at the
conclusion of his return-trip from New Chi
cago and almost every time for several days he
found Potter seated at the opposite side of the
table.
"Jing!" the mail-carrier told himself, as the
haf-wild ponies wbirled the blackboard toward
Zenith City on the day before the second issue
of Margie's paper appeared; why can't Ellick
marry her? That would-by grip? I'll speak
to him about it,"
Mr. Potter had been even quicker of thought
than Mr.. Henshaw. When Ike made his APP
pearance in the Banner Office he found Alexan-
der K sitting almost on his shoulder blades,
with his hands deep in his pockets and his feet
thrust far under the desk
'Looky here. Ellick," began Henshaw,
{" I've thought it all out! You jest whirl in
an marry that girl an D
"She has refused me-" Mr.. Potter was too
miserable to beat about the bush.
"Whas. She won't marry your"
"No"
not be proud and glad 10 wed Alexander K.
Potter had never entered Henshaw's thick
head.
Perhaps was too fast" said Potter, gloom
lily.
Margie Enfield had refused Potter for few
simple reasons She had not. in that brief time,
thought of loving him. This hair-trigger style
Of wooing had almost frightened her. She was
sure Potter had mistaken pity for love. She
1 was very grateful for his kindness, but she
/ could not marry him. Potter had gone away
surprised and miserable.
WELL" he said, with sigh, "Tll be her
| friend, anyhow"
Azberry understood the state of affairs, but
made no comment
The second issue Of the PldindeaIer under
Marge's management was a radical change
from The first. The plate-matter had disap-
peared, and the dead advertisements were
/ gone. There was quarter OF a column Of news
/ items creditable to Henshaw, Others which were
! the work Of the boys, also few contributions
/ from Potter's pencil. The little half fedged
/ poem, together with several mild paragraphs,
might have been properly credited TO Margie.
/ But there were paragraphs, each signed with
/ three little stars which differed radically from
/ the rest-clean-cut and forcble.
/ That thar is Ellickg work" Honshaw told
himself. "He is dom the manly thing by
! her"
! When the next issue of the paper appeared
( Ike Henshaw wagged his head with satisfac.
ton. The three little stars appeared in more
places than before, and again they betokened
the work of practiced hand. The future pol
icy of the paper was indicated in an unmistak-
able way, and that policy was in several par
( ticulars antagonistic to that which Potter had
advised Margie to pursue. 1t showed symp
toms of clashing at certain points with his OWL
policy, too.
When q month, and still another had passed
during which the three little stars had shown
| persistently and with increasing brilliancy
Henshaw said to himself, first that the work
of the three stars was almost as good as Potter
7gorl. in the Banner, then that il was equal {;
Potter's best, and lastly that Alexander X wa
doing better over his nom de plume than il
his own proper person.
" He's dom the square thing by that girl ;
commented Henshaw. "That's the kind of ;
man Ellick is"
To Henshaw's judgment it seemed as tim'
passed on, that the three stars excelled Pot
ter's ablest efforts in the Banner. 1t was as i
Potter was waging warfare upon himself Th
three stars barbed unerring shafts that pune
tured his egotism. They knobbed bludgeon
that smashed the heads of his cherished hob
bies. They met him at every turn and besteC
him each time They dug pits and tumblet
him therein. They defeated him everywhere
by jing." commented Henshaw. "EllicI
! is dom the best work of his life If he dom
win her, she hain't got no gratitude"
He sought Azberry's opinion, and the printe
] sd in ECFZ hut har IN tpl