Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-06-08
A FRIEND IN NEED.

{ f0Terty-Str1cken editor was Obliged Ia
move his property in order TO escape
coming in personal contact with a neg
lected rent bill old newspapers were
always srrewn about, hither ana thith-
er. as II turned out Of a huge Spuns-
ling pot. and the roor WAS much
i blacker than the rusty stove that
smoked and wheezed and made IN
profitable efforts to warm itself and
the Bazoo once 10 a tolerable condi-
ton Of comfort. Jack Marston. the
hank and bushy- haired editor, sat with
his feet propped up on a yard-high
waste basket. In Il dark corner an
by herself. was a young woman, writ
ing hurriedly on biz sheets OF yellow
ISL paper. Occasionally JACK would
neck over the top Of the exchange ne
Was clipping from and gaze Win a
curious sguint at this newcomer tie
had never approved OF newspaper
women anyhow. He considered lHta-
coats in q newspaper oTnce notniAS
less than nuisances. to lie avoided as
one would guard against rattlesnakeS
and poisonous plants. And here this
girl had come 70 him and before be
knew il he had put her at work get
ting VI a woman's column. Articles
on hair dressing and salads had been
his especial determinations, too. When
lie thought this all over he wondered
how long il would be before paresis
would have complete control Of his
usually serene mental faculties The
girls name was Ethel Hastings. and
he found himself saying Ethel Hast
ings" over and over again, and once
he even wrote the words unconscious
" on the dusty blue blotter that COW
cred his desk.
Jack regarded his own ACTIONS with
awe and ignorance At first he was
surprised and gave himself thought
full lecture in which he called himself
most abusive names with alarming ex-
trayagance. But after awhile he gave
up trying to solve this problem that
had heretofore never bothered him
and simply resigned himself TO fate
and paresis.
The BaZoO wasn't much OF a paper.
The town where the Bazoo tried TO
print out its first existence wasn't
much Of a town, either few years
before Jack had succumbed to rhe
scribbling fever and placed all his
money into an almost worthless pub
lication. which managed 10 drag him
down deeper in debt each week 1t
wasn't long before he grew dispirited,
and with encouragement came an eX-
aggerated lankness Of body and bush
mess Of hair and beard. Jack was still
young man, only Twenty-Five, but
the atmosphere of the slow-gOing town
had somehow or other been iastilled
in him and he was in immediate need
of waking up.
Salary day was a day of misery 10
Jack. He never knew whether he'd
be obliged TO go home to Ills boarding
house with cents or SO in his peck
ct. The BaZOo was not on an over
sound financial basis Jack was a
good-hearted fellow, but he had to in
fluence himself into discharging all
unnecessary employees, and the force
soon became reduced to three report
ers, city editor, an advertising man.
a proof-reader and five compositors.
Yet, with the knowledge of his power
ty constantly held up before his
weSried eyes, he had so far forgotten
himself as to deliberately employ this
pretty young woman, to whom he had
promised 10 pay a salary Of SO a
week.
Fifteen dollars a week was more
than any Of the BazOO reporters re-
ceived, and the city editor considered
his SIS a lOrdly income. Jack gave
another look at the young woman in
the corner and made another effort to
think out how it all came about He
remembered that he was reading
proof when Miss Hastings came tim
idly through the doorway. His first
thought was that she had something
to sell and he contracted his eyebrows
tribe tighter and EMBODIED himself
more snugly In the big, dusty proof
sheets.
Il beg your pardon Miss Hastings
had said timidly, and in the sweetest
voice imaginable, as she walked over
10 the proof-sheats and the editor. 81
called to see If you would give me en-
ployment. | worked for three wears
on several of the big New York daflies
and know the business very we'll"
After that the interview was n mis-
W Dlank to Jack. The clearest recoI.
lection he had retained was a pictura
himself unwinding his long legs
shuftiing out Of his chair and Offering
a seat to his fair visitor.
Miss Hastings had been al the IA.
zoo office two weeks and in that time
bad instilled much of her natural
brightness and sparkle into Jack Mar.
SION paper. She established
crlsply written column of town gossin
ana wrote up her general reportinr +
news in clever and cheerful style .
Iom' OF course, was delighted with her .
work and soon thought differently [
about newspaper women in general +
Had 1t not been for those troublesome
pay-days Jack would have been nor +
Iectly content to spend his life in the
Bazoo office.
1t was the third payday after MISC
Hastings arrival that the trouble first
began. Jacks funds gave out and no
had TO make his men content tham.
selves with half-pay. The next week
aHairs were In the same pitIfuI condi-
ton and a month after the BEGINNING
Dt the disagreeable business LACK
round his payroll two months behind
Ihen the men rebelled. The report-
even the city editor himself
ald down their pencils and pads and
sald they Wouldn work annthar doy