The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-28
JOHN BLUNT, JOURNALIST
How His Presence Of Mind Won
Him q Wife.

at the right OF the city ecltOrS CeSR
emitted long. high-keyed wailing note
of distress. at least it was distress tc
the man who heard it. Every day be
threatened to have something done By
way of having that speaking tube fixed,
so it wouldn't give forth such blood.
curdling walls and every day he forgot
it, and so every day for seven or eight
years, ever so many times a day, the
city editors spine was traversed by cold
clills resultant from the shock of hear.
ing the unholy cries of that speaking
tube. One can't, one really can't, get
used to some things.
The ''old man" answered the call OF
the lube, and then remarked in blunt,
forcible way he had, which always
made the young man whose name was
spoken drop every thing else and come
to his door in double quick time:
"Hornick!'
"Yessir!" and Mr.. Hornick, who was
big, tall, good-natured, bland young
man, rose from his lounging position,
took his pipe from his mouth and few
to answer the summons.
eff Blunt comes in this afternoon"
said the "old man" ''tell him to go up to
Mr. Burney's Office at once. Mr.. Burney
wants to see him"
''Yessir," and Mr.. Hornick returned
to the contemplation of smoke rings
and air castles.
The Blunt referred to was a certain
John Blunt, who had attained more or
less celebrity as producer of sketches,
verse, special stuff and syndicate let
tiers, and was employed on the Cont
nent as special writer for the Sunday
edition and for certain emergencies
He didn't do much work at the office,
but used to stroll into the city room al
most every day, throw his lengthy
frame into chair, his feet On desk,
and swap yarns with 1.-The boys" who
looked upon him variously according
to the length of time they had done
regular new spaper work)-as lazy,
bright chap, who might make good
reporter if he dropped his indolent
ways and hustled" or as an especially
fortunate fellow who had some reputa-
ton, ''signed his stuff" and didn't have
to do assignment and bark to the call
of the city editor or the man at the
desk.
Blunt loafed in about four o'clock,
which was This usual hour for appear
ing at the Office, fresh. smiling and
debonnaire, with the somewhat I'M
original remark addressed to Hornick:
'Hullo, Dubs."
"Hullo. Grub street." answered the
gentleman addressed. with his usual
good-natured smile. "Alive? Say, the
old man wants you"
''Me? What old man?"
'Burney. Wants you right off. be-
lieve. Probably is going to ask you to
hold his job while he goes to Hudson's
bay or somewhere"
probably assented Blunt, as he
passed into the hall.
'Mr.-ah--Blunt," said the manag-
ing editor (who knew Blunt's name
well enough, but was trying to re-
member something his wife had told
him to bring home), 'have chair"
Blunt sat down. The managing edi-
tor wheeled round and looked at him,
as he spoke, rapidly:
''Mr. Blunt, you understand the work
that has been mapped out for you to
attend to this fall? Well, you will
need to start in fresh on that. have
been thinking it over, and have de-
cided that it wouldn't do you any harm
to take little rest-you see, l know
how much you work, whether others
do or not Now, every man on this pa
per gets a two-weeks' vacation every
year, with salary for that time paid in
advance. l want you, Mr.. Blunt. to
drop all the work you have on hand
everything-and put in what is left of
July and the month of August at the
resorts. Your salary will be
paid now for that time, and we shall
expect from you only such letters as
You may feel like sending us-prefera-
bly,, one breezy letter from each place
to which you may happen to 60 That's
all. Come in and see me tomorrow
when you get ready to leave. The
cashier will fix you for money and
transportation"
Blunt murmured his surprised thanks,
and stumbled out Had the millen-
mum arrived, unheraIded? He stopped
outside and pinched himself, to make
sure that he, John Blunt. grinder-out
of special stuff was awake and I'M
influenced by liquor. Then, very SEN
sibly. he decided that his senses had
not deceived him, and he went in and
told 'Dubs'' of the luck that had come
his way-whereat 'Dubs" smiled eX-
pansively, and was presently seen, in
company with the special" looking
over tall counter at
white-coated, white-aproned, hair-oiled,
natty parsonage, who was mixing some
thing into some cracked ice which re-
posed in a tall glass.
John Blunt chose Forest lake as the
resort which he would first favor with
his presence. Forest lake was not
popular" summer resort. This fact
was rather in its favor than otherwise,
although there are persons who might
not think so. It happened to be one of
those small, quiet places of which few
Of the resort-going public ever hear,
but which are delightful in their very
and exclusiveness. At
Forest lake one was quite, quite GER
ain not TO find the sweet-scented dry
goods clerk or the ubiquitous. other
wise entirely inoffensive, dude Onlya
few families had cottages at Forest
al,e-of these, those who had no grand
fathers had enough money to make
hem forgivable-and but one hotel ex-
sted, and that one was rather under
sized. perfectly kept. ard very particu-
ar Is TO whom 1t sheltered