The Van Buren press., 1893-08-05
THE EDITOR'S VISITOR.
How Polly Sold Her drandpa's
Returned Manuscript

II was tho noon hour and the city ed
itOr Of the Chronicle was very busy
makine out an assignm ,nt list. when .
oueer old-fashioned figure Of . man
came into the room and stood waiting
ritz ei1e Of the1esk-
ssNell! said The city editor. looking
mp sharply. after an instant what do
you w.ntT
II wants1tQnDoW0 0a@ld nahe
- Of thisf aSsw6reA the newcon1,
timidly holding out ! small bundle Of
nnDaipk
.1.m sure We can't unless it's some
s1mk 8tsine ieo hoary with age than
thet yeu brought here the other day"
IL dty ed1ter. who ~ . eomparas
ti{ely Jupne man. very Akrt very
qussk iuapeoch and all buf fnen. took
! - nlA.aselipl unfosdel 4 With : snap
and ran his eye over the first few lines
Then he wheeled his chsir around and
said. Strengthening mp and speaking
tsstIly:
49, .1ook heres Joha Harmon. once
81 - 6fnd9stsnd dhst its NO -
1n1ae suehsen6 = TIT IN her& s6d'
won't be bothered with locking At it!
Why. this b identcaliy the same an
cient history you tried to shove OF on
~ The other day
'.Bnt polished il up" suggested the
cid mAn-
polished yssr srandfather.r ex-
e1afne5 The other. Why. you couldn't
polish that matter so that it would be
rsndable II you worked forever. It's
kard1nek. but the plain truth is there are
too many young men hustling for live
ueWs 1omal1Cw Of suchs back number
trnshsnE0nat being good forsen1thilD
but t0&afopa ; holeL Il haveG8 R0t any
more time to talkl If you get any news
bring il in and will look At it! Other
uise stay away. please!"
The city editor faced his desk again,
picked mp his pen and fell 10 work, not
1ookine 1t the other. The older man
fur IN instant stood motionfess; then
he picked up the manuscript. put it in
his pocket, and turning away walked
slowly out Of the room without word.
The wind was biting hard outside
md he drew his collar about his ears as
he walked despondently down side
street He had not far to 60. for pres
entity ~ Wsntnp tina steps of small
house and opened tie door. The room
into which he came was bare and miser-
able-looking. and everywhere showed
the lack Of ! woman's hand TO straighten
ths few bits of furniture. which only
served b. theix mean repair TO add 70
The foriom seepeannee Of the apAft
ment 96e old uan stooA quite still. I
ons hand resting On the doorjamb.
staring ahead Of him IS II he cav b..
yond the opposite wall. As he stood
there, there came . glad child's cry
from The ether 81 q the roops
-Oh. grsn.BoE / Sis2 YOU eomd It's.
swfniiy ioneiy::-'
1he old mans face brightened lie
roA6h@d down. and. as the little eiri'
came running 70 him. caught her up
and lsboringly lifted her to his breast
Then he kissed her and put her down.
She did not soc the tears on his cheeks
as he talked to her Of the fun they
would have that evening .after work
was dose After work WAS done was
the season when these two had grand
rsups together. Work. % little Polly
we'll knew, Iseant writing. writing.
writing until shs wanld crawl npon the
old mans knee and beg him to come
hlay. and hAIxpad drcp the pen. from
~ xfaup15d 1a9as ana lei her kiss
fsmn his Aeycsi che mist which would
Al L. L. ..e
long fixsd on the pages before him
John Harmon was nearly eighty. "a
hRulEenAown newspaper man" he was
called. and his only Inheritance from
past days was knowledge Of news
( psper writing and little granddangh-
ter whose mother and father had died
ain's fever epidemic . few years before.
The old man threw the rejected
manuscslpt on chair. then set about
getting something 10 eat for himself
and the child, the little one all the
while chattering 70 him of what they
would do in the evening. When they
1niabed he pulled on his coat once
mors, kissed the child and went ont
again A publishing-house had
promised to look over some manuscript
he had left week or so before. He
WAS going there 10 get their answer.
BE comprehcnded DULY that this
answer might mean something to eat.
bnt more likely keener hunger than
ever
When the child was left to herself
she sat down and fell to looking over
sDme illustrated .pap-rss-whirh -wcre
her inyariable. source of amusement
By and vi becoming tirA She
Wandercd over % The table. The &c
jccted manuscript ON the chair caught
her eye. Granpops papers were Tor
bidden articles TO her. bat when She
saw this package and slowly spelled
out the writing on its !, cpsrr. 'Tihe
Chronicle there came to her mind
that gran'pop had told her when lac
was writing this address the night be
fore and was too busy to play with he,
that the manuscript had 70 DC sent in
Tomorrow This was tomorrow. shs
reasoned. and the manuscript had moi
gone Gran'pop must have forgotten
t.. He would be sorry, she knew.
Pfeseptly there came to her brighi
ides. and she st.sssi a s.ss q Is,-
ment. thinking hard.-s Hhy could shs
NOT take the Manuscript TO the Chron
i-Ies She knew where the office. was
she lasl been there with granpop. Il
ssGulsi be sli..h a surprise to him to find
Il ( re.s s3ns whsH b. easie home
she - ;l,i - d. i. She took tbs