The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-16
BUDS COPY.

The city editor opened the door and
peered impationtly through the clouds
of smoke rolling up over the long cen
ter table in the reporters room
did you get that story, Carleton?" he
asked
"Carlcton's not i'll yet, Mr.. Howard,
one of the men replied. "He"-
But the door shut with u bang, to
open q minute later, when the same
worried voice inquired:
where's Bud? No; 1 suppose he
isn't to be found either! Did any one
ever 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 F street and find
Carleton. There's wreck off the point,
but it won't do us any good unless no
gets here with That copy pretty soon.
We GO to press ut 3 o'clock-in just two
hours Bud"-
He stopped with half smile, for the
boy was already part way down the
stairs on his way to the street,
None of us knew exactly why We gave
the weird, shrivelcd specimen of boy
hood the name of Bud Possibly it was
because of the certainty we felt that he
would never become blossom He was
u thin shouldered, sunken chcstcd little
fellow, small even for his IL years with
q sharp featured, unchildish face, and
the suggestion of eternal Group In his
voice. He had drifted into the office one
stormy night about "A year before the
time of which write, and although his
request for "a place" had been prompt
ly refused he had calmly staid on and
become u fixture He was not communi-
cativc about himself, and we were not
particularly curious. One of tho women
proofreaders discovered before long that
the gray rat under her desk was not a
more constant habitue Of the Office than
was Bud He spent the hours between
the time that the paper went to press
and the arrival of the day men at IL
O'Clock sleeping on 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 "undcrstudy" for Frank, the reg
ular galley boy, he was fast picking up
knowledge of printing and had &C.
casionally displayed surprising amount
Of information regarding the general
makeup of q newspaper. Strongly i'm
bued with the idea that oil things were
secondary In Importance and must be
subservient to it's requirements, moth
ing pleased him so much as an GRAND
Of the kind just given him by the city
editor, and we all knew he would re
turn on time if he was alive.
Carleton was a new man on tho pa
per, little green in the business, but
with 'nose for news and a sense of
honor and the eternal fitness Of things
coupled with reliability of statement
that night before giving the assignment
''Gct to that wreck, Carleton" he
said testify "You are tho only man
here who can write it up without hay
ing the waves roll mountain high.
And the new reporter had torn thick
section from tho block of copy paper and
hurried away.
Bud found no difficulty in 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 as II street. The storm,
which had been raging for three days
and had finally caused the disaster, had
subsidized trifle, and from his distance
the great, black hulk seemed resting
easily upon tho waves. On account of
the hour there were but fow spectators
only the hurrying life saving crews,
tho patrolmcn and the inevitable groups
OF ragged wharf rats And Bud observ
ed, with delight, that not another paper
had reporter on the scene. Ho looked
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 tho little craft and set off for the
half submerged ship.
''He hadn't oughter either" the
man continued. ''This water amt as
peaceful us it looks. We had hard pull
gettin in the last trip with tho passen-
gers, and tho wind is risin higher every
minute"
1t was truo that the clouds had begun
to roll again, while the lightning threw
ever sharper and more jagged fangs
across the sky. Tho crow on shore made
hasty preparations to put out There
were still many people aboard the wreck
"a number of them women and chill
dren. Bud was the first ono in the boat.
Come out of that, youngstor, " said a
sailor. "Be quick with you'll"
"I'm goin," cried the boy. GIVE got
to see Carloton-I've got to, tell your
The sailors hand was on his collar,
but Bud chung to the seat with desper-
alton, the muscles in his little hands
standing ont like n pladiotor's