Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-08-14

made on a chance visitor varied accord
ing as Mr.. Liquorish's door was ajar or
shut. When they heard il locked on the
inside the reporters and the sub-editor
breathed a sigh of relief; when it opened
they took their legs of the desk.
The EDITORS room had a carpet, and
was chiefly furnished with books sent
in for review. 1t was more comfortable,
but more glOcmy-looking than the re-
porter's room, which had long desk
running along one side OF it, and bunk
for holding Goals and old newspapers
on the other side. The floor was so lit
tered with papers, many OF them still
10 their wrappers, that, on his way be-
tween his seat and the door, the report
er generally kicked one or more into the
bunk. II was in this way, unless an ap-
prentice happened to be otherwise dis
engaged, that the floor was swept.
In this room were reference library
and an old coat. The library was with
iu reach OF the sub-editOr's hand, and
contained some fifty books which the
literary staff could consult, with the
conviction that they would find the page
they wanted missing. The coat had
hung unbruShed on q nail for many
years, and was so thick with dust that
john Milton could draw pictures on 1t
with his finger. According TO legend,
70 was the coat Of a distinguished novel
ist, who had once been a reporter on the
Mirror, and had left Silchester unosten-
tatiously by his window.
Ii was Penny, the foreman In the com
posing room, who set the literary staff
talking about she new reporter. Penny
was lank, loosely jOinted man Of forty,
who snuGled about the Office in slippers,
raised the compOSitOrs with loud voice
and a clustering manner and was be-
lieved TO be Ia Mr.. LicQuOrish's conf
dence. His politics were respect for
the House Of Lords, because IT rose
early, enabling him TO have it set before
supper time.
The foreman slithered so quickly
from one room 70 another that he was
at the sub-editor's elbow before his own
door had had time to shut. There was
some copy in his hand, aud be slung 1t
ContemptuOusly upon the desk.
Look here, Mister" he said, finging
the copy upon the sub-editor's desk, 81
don't want that"
The Sub-editor was twisted into as lit
tie space as possible tearing kilograms
open and flinging the envelopes aside,
much as a housewife shells peas. His
name was Protheroe, and the buster he
was the more he twisted himself. On
Budget nights he was knot. lie did
voluntarily so much extra work that
Mr.. LicQuorlsh often thought he gave
him too high wages, and on slack nights
he smiled TO himself, which showed that
something pleased him. 1t was rather
curious that this something should have
been himself
"But-but," cried Protheroe, all In a
flutter, ats town council meeting; it
il must be set, Mr.. Penny"
Very well, Mister, then that special
from Birmingham must be Slaught-
cred"
mo, no, Mr.. Penny; why that's a
speech by Bright"
Penny sneered at the sub-editOr, and
flung 40 his arms to imply that he
washed his hands Of the whole thing,
as he had done every night for the last
ten years, when there was pressure on
his space. PrOtheroe had been there
for half OF that time, yet he still trem-
bled before the autOCrat OF the office.
There's enough copy on the board, 1"
said Penny, "to fill the paper. Any
more specials coming in?"
He asked this fiercely, as Of the opin-
ion that the sub-editor arranged with
leading statesmen nightly to hood the
com posing room OF the Mirror with
speeches, and PrOthCroe replied AFFECT
IL, as II he had been caught doing 1t
Lord John Manners is speaking to-
night al Nottingham.
The foreman dashed his hand upon
the desk. "GO it, Mister, go IT," he
cried; anything else? Tell me Gladstone
is dead next"
Sometimes about o'clock in the
morning Penny would get sociable, and
the sub-editor was always glad 10 re-
spond. On those occasions they talked
with bated breath OF the amount OF copy
that would come in should anything
happen 10 Mr.. Gladstone; and the sub
editor, IL he was in respondent mood,
predicted that it would occur at mid
night. Thinking Of this had made him
q Conservative.
Nothing so bad as that" he said,
dwelling on the subject TO show the
foreman that they might De worse off;
"but there's q column Of local coming
in, and = concert in the POpe's Hall,
and
"And YOU expect me to set all that?"
the foreman broke in. "Why, the half
OF that local should have been set by 6
o'clock, aud here I've only got the be-
ginning OF the Town Council yet. It's
ridiculous"
Protheroe looked timidly towards the
only reporter present and then apollo
getically towards Penny for having
looked at the reporter.
The stuff must be behind" growled
Tomlinson, nicknamed Umbrage, las
long as we're a man short"
Tmbrage was very short and stout,
with a big moon face, and always wore
his coat unbuttOned. In the streets, ii
he was walking fast and there was
breeze. his coat-tailS seemed TO be run
ming after him. He sQuinted a little,
from a habit he had of looking sidewise
AZ public meetings to see il the audi
ence was gazing at him. He was "JuVe-
nal" in the Mirror on Friday mornings,
and headed his column OF local gossip
which had that signature, "NOw step l
forth to whip hypocrisy"
81 wonder" said the sub-editor, with
an insinuattng glance at the foreman,
eff the new man is expected tonight"
Mr.. LicQuorish had told him that this
was so an hour before, but the cunning
bred OF fear advised him to give Penny
the opportunity Of diyulGing the news.
That worthy smiled to himself, as
any man has right to do who has been
told something in confidence by his en-
plOyer.
Hes a Yorkshireman, 1 believe"
So.