The herald., 1895-07-16
A LADY AND A REPORTER
Being a True Story of Late Evening
Detail
The Mattes Of Gender an important One st
Times Effect on interviewer sus
Interviewed

1t was about 8 O'Clock in the evening,
the early copy that had been asked for,
then howled for and finally demanded,
had been just handed in, and the repoter
was wondering If suit wasn't too late for
an evening assignment. when the remem.
brance OF a w0man's missionary meeting
held that morning and tnat had not
been covered, came with startling sud-
denness.
To remem ber is to do in newspaper
Office, that is, in the local room, of course.
memory IN the editorial room merely
means for somebody else to do. How
ever. having remembered the reporter
thanked the lucky stars that had thrown
into relief that missionary meeting before
it was too late. and there was no time to
spare either. So. hastily putting on and
buttoning up its coat "a reporter Is such
q nonentity tnat ''it' will do as we'll as
any other pronoun) and jamming it's hat
down Os; over its eyes; the re reporter ter sped out
settling down foi a long ride, sharpened
pencil or two, and then relapsed into
thought. The secretary of this woman's s
mission lived at some distance from the
center OF town. and sine was the only
available person from whom to get a re-
POIt VI bHo mcGtluHs OHOH lohVlHE tu0
car the reporter was forced to walk sew
eral blocks in the outsKirts before reach
ing the house, and looking furtively to
the left and right instinctively reached
toward the pistol pocket, as swaying
branch threw an occasional unexpected
shadow across the sidewalk. But they
proved to be only shadows in each case,
and finally the house. which was under
going repairs. was reached, little after
10 o. clock. Climbing clnmsily acruss the
pieces OF scantling that Uttered the steps.
and carefully avoiding certain holes that
an obiiging electric light made visible,
the door bell was reached and jerked.
The whole lower part of the house was in
darkness. ard no answer was made until
the third jangle of the bell, when q gen.
tleman, armed with q lamp, appeared
and demanded "who was there" In most
propitiatory tones the reporter explained
the nature Of the call, and was bidden to
senter.
Monsieur set down the lamp and going
to the foot of the stails. called to his wife,
asking il he should send the reporter up,
who had come to see about the morning s
meeting. An emphatic mo-" with the
explanatory clause that she had "gune
to bed." uttered in Mortified tones, floated
down to the reporters ears. as we'll as
as soon as l can The minutes passed
and presently madame appeared arrayed
in a most Becoming and daintily con
tructed robe de chsmbre. all futtering
ribbons and filmy lace, with her bangs,
through which a comb had been care
fully passed. showing the effects OF curl
papers. She cast one glance at the re.
porter, then looked at her husband re.
proaohfully. and said, with much en-
phasis on the first, fourth and last words
"Why didn't you tell me the reporter as
a woman?" And the reporter smiled an
note book and obediently jotted down the
information sought. making, mean viii le
notes of the way the fascinating robe de
cham bre was built--for future reference.