Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-12-27

~ ry." And if they hadn't
found it out he wouldn't have had any
New Years present, and this story
would never have been written.
He had always been on the night
desk, which is of the same family Of
furniture as an entertainment bureau.
That is, he sat all night at table
with nine other men reading and edit
ing local and Geographic copy for the
morning Sun.
1t was the Suns policy to hire some
one from outside the office when they
wanted a new man on the desk. And
he came quietly in one afternoon as it
was getting dark, and in a few words
told the managing editor he was out
of job and could do desk work. He
never said a word about salary, SO
the managing editor hired him.
He went to work that night, and it
was long time before anyone knew
anything about him except that he
lived on the hill.
He never came till just as the clock
was striking seven, and it never
stopped wheeling and putting over the
exertion before he walked in. He al
ways said "Good evening, SIR" to the
night editor. The night editor always
said Good evening, Briefly" to him.
Sometimes the lavish politeness
would spread to the other desk men,
and they would wish him good even
ing; but more than half the time they
didn't take the trouble.
And then Briefly would sit right
down to the grind and turn off more
work and do it better than any other
two men put together. The men could
never fathom him.
He never went out to the 1880 lunch
they INDUCED in, and when he repeat
eddy declined to go down to Ca tder's and
have beer they threw up the case in
despair and refused longer to take any
interest in him as a healthy human
newspaper man.
When the city edition was sent down
at $3.50, and Rich, the night editor.
said: Good night. gentlemen" Brier-
ly got up. echoed Rich's sentiments,
and-vanished.
He never got any mail. In short, he
was mystery.
1t was spring when Briefly came,
and it was October before Dearborn
stumbled on his story. When the ten
the office boy who looked it over, ut
tered an exclamation of surprise and
tossed an envelope across the desk to
Briefly.
He took it, cut it open, looked at the
signature, turned white, stuffed the
letter into his pocket, and went on
editing his copy.
Every eye in the room was on him.
but he did not look up. just shut his
lips together tight and went on.
All but one man had sense enough
to keep quiet. But he was fellow
who had fatal faculty of thinking
his own sayings funny, when they
were only fat and intensely irrita ting.
He sang ont:
''Well, Briefly, got a letter from her
at last. have you? Why didn't she
write before? Come, let's hear it! Why
don't you tell usP"
Briefly changed color several times
and stood the chaff as long as he
could. Then he rose suddenly, threw
down his blue pencil and roared out to
the witty man: ''Shut up your ugly
mouth"
With that he flung out of the room.
The witty man was so surprised
he gasped and the rest of the men
laughed at his discontinue when
they recovered from their own aston
ishment.
In five minutes Briefly came back
and sat down without word. No
body said anything to him. and at
half-past eleven the editors went out
for their lunch. On the stairs they
met John Dearborn, who blessed them
all for pretty cheap editors"
They went down discussing Brierly's
letter. Dearborn went up and sat
down at his desk in the large room.