Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-11-20


anl stood waiting by the side of the
desk.
"Well !" said the city editor, look
ing up sharply, after an instant, "what
do You want?"
81 wanted to know if you could
make use of this" answered the new
conner, timidly holding ont small
bundle of manuscript.
'Pm sure we can't unless it's some
thing trifle less hoary with age than
that you brought here the other day"
The city editor, who was a compare
lively young man, very alert, very
| quick in speech, and all business, took
the manuscript, unfolded it with
snap and ran his eye over the first few
lines Then he wheeled his chair
around and said, Strengthening up and
speaking testify:
"Now look here, John Harmon, once
and for all, understand that it's no use
bringing such stuff as that in here,
and I won't be bothered with looking
at it Why, this is identically the
same ancient history you triedto shove
off on me the other day"
"But 1 polished it up!" suggested
the old man.
polished up your grandfather !'
exclaimed the other. "Why, you
couldn't polish that matter so thar it
would be readable if you worked for
ever. It's hard luck; but the plain
truth is there are too many young men
hustilng for live news to allow of such
back-number trash as that being good
for anything but to stop hole. /
, haven't got any more time to talk If
i you get any news, bring it in an !
will look at it Otherwise stay away,
& please :"
= The city editor faccl his desk again,
picked up his pen and fell to wora, not
looking at the other. The older man
for an instant stood motionless, then
, he picked mp the manuscript, put it in
his pocket and turning away walked
slowly ont OF the room without worl l..
The wind was biting hard outside
3 and he drew his collar about his ear.
!. as he walked despondently down n sid,
il street. He had not far to go, for pres
!. entity he went up the steps of small
house and opened the door. The roog
into which he came was bare and mis-
- cradle looking, and everywhere showe
~ the lack of n woman's hand to straiqhte1
III the few bits of furniture, which onl,
1t served by their mean repair to add t.
rs the forlorn appearance ot the apart
Q ment. The old man stood quite still.
one hand resting on the doorjamb,
l staring ahead of him rs if he saw be-
a yond the opposite wall As he stood
' there, there came n glad childs cry
n from the other end of the room:
# "oh, Gran'pop, glad you come
It's awfully lonesome!'
y The old mans face frightened He
es reached down and, as the little girl
,e came running TO him, caught her nm
h and laboringly lifted her to his breast
Then he kissed her and put her down
'e She did not see the tears on his cheek.
/. as he talked to her of the fun the,
d would have that evening "after wori
was done" After work was done wa
the season when these two had gran
romps together. Work, as little Poll
{ well knew, meant writing, writing
Is writing until she would crawl upon tn
d old mans knee and beg him to com
play, and he would drop the pen fro.
"a his cramped fingers and let her kis
IRON his eyes the mist which woul
le gather there, when he kept his min
to long hXed on the pages before him.
h. John Harmon was nearly eighty, s
10 broken-down newspaper man he wa
=" called, and his only inheritance from
y past days was knowledge of news
rs paper writing anda little granddanob
# ter, whose mother and father had do,
in fever epidemic II few years before
e The old man threw the reiecte
g manuscript on n chair, then set nbou
e getting something to eat for himsel
n and the child, the little one all tn
. while chattering to him of what the
" would do in the evening. When the
e had finished he pulled on his coat one
al more, kissed the child and went OF
t. again. A publishing house had prom
+ ised to look over some manuscript
had left week or SO before. He WI
going there to get their answer. II
l8 comprehended duly that this nnswt
might mean something to eat, bu