Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-11-22
News will have to get another man.

He dashed the letter down upon the
desk, and fell to gnawing his nails
nervously. The editor looked up
wonderingly, then read the note.
After few passionate, devotional in
terjec,ions, it wound up by stating
that the devoted and impulsive lover
would visit Rossville on the following
Friday to see his "adored one," his
queen"
'Isn't this something like q pre-
dicament?" exclaimed Fred, as his
chief sat tapping the arm of the edi-
torial chair with his pencil and his
eyes fixed refectingly upon his as
sistant Can you make me an ad-
vance of $50? I'll get Meigs to take
my place and flee to the Adirondacks
or some painless wilderness for q
while until this infatuated foreigner
RECEIVERS his reason"
Erred, me boy" said the editor,
sagely. 81 know a trick worth two OF
that. Write me touching obituary
notice of Miss Nellie Jardine's very
sudden demise. A congestive chill,
spinal meningitis; anything of that
sort will do. Well just insert that
little notice. and have one copy struck
off.
''Have it marked. and sent to that
poor fool of Cuban, together with
the jewelry he has sent, and, presto.
me boy! you are out of the whole af-
fair in no time. We won't need Meigs
then; he's a dunderhead; and you can
| still go on with your work"
Fred, though at first doubtful, fell
in with this idea and the program
was fully carried out.
The announcement beginning "Sud-
den death of an estimable young lady"
was quite pathetic, and SO tickled
Fred's fancy that his nervousness
vanished as Wednesday and Thursday
passed. He became so absorbed in
other things that when on Friday, d
wild-eyed, haggard. foreign-looking
man of thirty. five burst into the sane
tum, with paper in his hand, Fred
looked up serenely, then recognised,
with an appalling thrill, that it was
the Cuban, from the photograph the
latter had sent.
"Rossville News ees it here?'
asked the stranger, in a somber tone.
"Well-a-rm not sure" Fred hesi-
tated whether to frankly own up or
ignominiously flee.
"E-et must be. / was SO told.
Senor-have you see zat?'
He pointed to the notice in the pa
per he held, and watched Fred anx-
iously.
'Zat-zat-" his voice was pro-
foundly melancholy. "Oh, senior! 1
am desolate Il am inconsolable. 1
kindly-to take me to the grave? Her
last resting place, senor?"
Fred here suddenly felt an inspira-
tion that lent him a little glimpse of
rescue. Only two days before, in the
little village cemetery. a new grave
had been made. A member of fami-
ly little known. and recently arrived
at Rossville, had died and been buried
there.
Certainly, SIR he said, reaching
for his hat. "Come with me. 1t is q
most melancholy event, and, as you
seem interested 1 see no harm in
showing you the grave of our cs-
teemed young neighbor - lovely
girl she was, too"
The stranger grasped Fred's hand.
wrung it feverishly, and prepared to
follow him. He told the office-b boy
that he would not be back for an
hour, and the two men sailed forth
down back street. Fred did not
wish to meet acquaintances just thop.
After while they came out on a
pleasant road. that lead to the ceme-
terry. Arriving there, he pointed out
the way to the grave.
mo trouble in finding it, sir; it's the
only new one. You will want to be
alone, and should you wish to leave a
place connected with such sad mem
cries at once, there's New York train
at four-fifteen. Good-day."
Fred was off like a rocket, half de-
termincd to pack his worldly goods
and go to see his mother, whom he
had not visited for two years. But,
on his return to the office, the editor
was awaiting him with telegra m
in hand.
Look here" said his chief, "I've
got to leave you in five minutes.
have urgent business in Washington,
to use my influence in securing an
appointment in the treasury depart-
ment for my friend Dunleary, and he
and 1 have to go there at once and
see about it. I'll be back in two days;
not word now; trust you as 1 do
myself. You can run things"
So the editor departed with rush,
giving Fred hardly time to open his
mouth. uHe felt desperate. That
mad and melancholy Cuban would
be back, asking troublesome ques-
tions, and any one might drop in. He
shuddered at the thought of the dire
full possibilities ahead.
But the afternoon wore off, and the
Cuban did not return. Fred breathed
easier; perhaps the fellow had really
taken the New York train. When he
locked up the Office and started upon
his evening walk his fears had flown.
He turned down grassy lane, near
which stood q house, seclusively shell
tered by strawberries and trees. Fro m
the front gate man and woman
came forth. and walked toward him
arm in arm. His fears suddenly re-
vived as he recognized the Cuban
again.
The other was a lovely lady in deep
mourning. Imagine his surprise when
the man greeted him ioyfully, ecstat-