The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-05-17
BUDS COPY.

The city editor opened the door and
peered impatiently through the clouds
of smoke rolling up over the long GEN.
ter table in the reporters room
did you get that story, Carleton he
asked.
Cartoons not in yet, MIR. Howard, .
one OF the men replied "He,r
But the door shut with d bang, to
open a minute later, when tbe, same
worried voice inquired: -.
Where's Bud? No; | suppose he
isn't to be found eitheri Did any one
even know him to be ON hand when he
was wanted? Here, Bud, as the grimy
faced galley and general utility boy in
question came in with his proofs, 'go
down to the foot Of r street and find
Carleton. There's o wreck OF the point,
but it won't do rs any good unless he
gets here with that copy pretty soon.
We go to press nc 8 o'clock-in Just two
hours Bud'-
He stopped with o half smile, for the
boy was already part way down the
stairs ON his way to the street
None of MS knew exactly why we gave
the weird, shriveled specimen Of boy
hood the name of Bud. Possibly it was
because Of the certainty we felt that he
would never become a blossom BE was
a thin shonldered, sunken chested little
fellow, small even for his IL years with
a sharp featured, unchildish face, and
the suggestion Of eternal Group In his
voice he had drifted into the Office one
stormy night about q year before the
time Of which / write, and although his
request for ga place. had been prompt
~ refused he had calmly staid on and
become a fixture. He was not communi-
cative about himself, and we were not
particularly curious One OF the women
proofreaders discovered before long that
the gray rat under her desk was not .
more constant habitue of the Office than
was Bud. He spent the hours between
the time that the paper went 70 press
and the arrival of the day men at IL
O'Clock sleeping on o pile of empty mail
sacks in a dark corner Of the engine
room, but from that time ON he was
alert and ready for business
AS s'understudy" for Frank, the reg
ular galley boy, he was fast picking up
a knowledge Of printing and had oc-
casionally displayed o surprising amount
of information regarding the general
makeup of q newspaper. Strongly Inn
bued with the idea that all things were
In Importance and must be
.subservient to its requirements moth
ing pleased him 30 much as an errand
of the kind Just given him by the city
and we all knew he would re-
turn ON time if he was alive.
Carleton was o new man ON the pa
per, o little green in the business, but
with a NOSE for news and Q sense Of
honor and the eternal fitness of things
coupled with reliability of statement
MI. Howard had looked over his star
that night before giving the assignment
'aGet to that wreck, Carleton, !" he
said testify. You are the only man
here who can write it mp without ,hav-
ing the waves roll mountain high"
And the new reporter had torn a thick
section from the block Of copy paper and
hurried away.
Bud found no difficulty i'm locating
the wreck, although he could see its
dark spars outlined against the sky
much better by running along the wa
ter front as far az Fl street The storm,
which had been raging for three days
and had finally caused the disaster, had
subsidized a trife, and from his distance
the great, black hulk seemed resting
easily upon the waves. On account of
the hour there were but few spectators
only the hurrying life saving crews,
the ~patrolmen and the inevitable groups
Of ragged wharf rats. And Bud ohserv-
ed, with delight that not another paper
had q reporter ON the scene, He locked
around for Carleton, and some one told
him that the chap that had been writ
ing there for . long time, sitting On an
overturned small boat, had at last right
ed the little craft and set OF for the
half submerged ship.
HE hadn't oughter either" the
man continued. 'aThis water amt as
peaceful as IL looks. We had d hard pull
gettin In the last trip with the passen-
gers, and the wind is risin higher every
minute"
1t was true that the clouds had begun
to roll again, while the lightning threw
sharper and more Jagged fangs
across the sky. The crew on shore made
hasty preparations to put out There
were still many people aboard the wreck
IA number Of them women and chill
dren. Bud was the first one in the boat
Come ont of that youngster, = said a
sailor. BE quick with youp'
I'm goin, /" cried the boy. ...I'ye got
to see Carleton-I've got to, / tell you'll
The sailors hand was on his collar,
but Bud chung to the seat with desper-
alton, the muscles in his little hands
standing out like o g~ladiator's
I've got to get something for the pa
per- and his voice rose to . shrill
scream.
The man lifted him out, sat him-not
ungently-down on the wet sand and
pushed on the boat With o fierce cry
the boy was after him, clinging like 3
monkey 70 its side The sailor looaened