Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-09-29
CONSTANCE MERRIFIELD.
MONTHS SCOOP.

CONSTANCE MERRIFIELD.
MONTHS SCOOP.
Montgomery's acquaintance with the
newspaper woman dated from a cold,
wet evening in that season of the year,
which, without being either winter or
spring, possesses the disagreeable fea-
lures Of both.
| Miss Dodge came drearily down the
/ Capitol steps. feeling her wet skirts flap
! disconsolately against her wetter boots
at every step. She was too discouraged
! 20 care. She was tired and cold and
miserable as she could be. She wanted
to reyel in it. She felt old and shabby,
and a great wave of pity for herself
washed lump up into her throat.
Up and down the avenue umbrellas
were bobbing, like an endless funeral
procession of mourning mushrooms.
The ruby and emerald lights of passing
cabs and herdics threw splashes of col
or on the wet pavement, and the street
lamps We're yellow blurs in the dusk. 1t
was her habit TO stop for a moment on
the terrace to look Gown along the
grays and puppies of the avenue, but to-
night she walked on stOidly.
Montgomery was sitting in the hall
way of a deserted building few blocks
further down the avenue as she came
up He was crying softly. The news
paper woman stopped.
What's the matter, my boy?" she
asked
None of your business" responded
NTOnrr rounn,-r DrOunOt1V
But you're crying" she persisted,
amused.
Free country, amt it?" was the boys
answer.
The newspaper woman walked on a
few steps, then turned back.
Say" she said. Il haven't any
friends either. Come on and go to sup
per with me. I don't like to be alone.
Montgomery wavered The woman's
tone was frank and friendly, with a
suspicion Of patronage in il. She held
out her hand with an engaging smile.
The boy was cold and wet and hungry.
Down in the bottom Of his tough little
soul was a longing for sympathy.
Come on said the newspaper wo-
man. Montgomery went
Montgomery's table manners had not
that repOse that stamps the caste Of
We're de We're. Enforced attention to
The bread and butter problem al a time
of life when most boys are scarcely out
of pinafores had prevented him acquir-
ing any of what he called funny bust
ness. He leaned on his elbows, and
his knife went quite frankly into his
mouth with every bite, but his eyes
were bright and honest and his freckled
| face was frank and clean. The news
paper woman found herself warming
to him strangely. His faculty of obser-
| yaoion was singularly developed for one
OF his years, and he spoke the language
Of the streets with a briskness and
cheerful Inconsistencies OF its vulgar
10y that made it quite engaging.
After supper Montgomery escorted
her to the door of the newspaper office
where she was employed. From that
day they were fast friends. The boy
was her guest at supper several nights.
and then on an occasion he appeared
in new high collar and invited her to
sup with him at a cafe he called the
Bite and Fly, and they had an oyster
stew and buckwheat cakes and ice
! cream.
He fell into the habit of lettering near
the Office door at the time of day when
Miss Dodge would be coming down
When they met she would say
Hello, Montgomery! How's your
end of the profession?"
And Montgomery, swelling with
pride at being thus included in the
limit of journalism, responded
out o sight. How's yOurs?"
The newspaper woman cherished a
dream OF literary fame. She was writ
ing a novel, in fact It had a great
deal of philosophy in il. and it ended
very sadly. Parts of it she read 10
Montgomery at the Bite and Fly
He listened with patience.
Miss Dodge had designs on Mont
gOmery. She meant to civilize him.
She invited him to call on her precious
leisure Sunday once a fortnight. The
boy, however refused.
Down town, it's all in the perfesh. "
he exclaimed, AN it's all right: but up
to your place it's sassiety, an 1 amt in
! IL, see?'
Their intercourse, therefore. was lin,
| tied to meeting on the Office steps. and
once in a while Montgomery came IN
in to the Office and ran errands for her.
He was so quiet, and had such an un-
| feigned reverence for journalism and
for everybody in any way connected
with IL, even the Office boy and the man
who ran the elevator, that he was al
lowed to come and go unmolested.
II vt.oc aar1v in tho ,,-i,to- ri.
newspaper woman was rushed to death
She rode home on the very last car
and the three blocks from the car into
her house had more terrors for her
than she would have confessed. There
were two nights when she felt that
some one was following her. Terror
| lent wings to her feet. The next night
| a backward glance showed her a figure
following her again, shrinking along in
the shadow of the trees. 1t showed her.
toe. q familiar something in the figure
walk. She stopped abruptly.
Montgomery she called, come out
from behind the tree.
For moment there was no response
Then Montgomery slouched into sight
and came shamefacedly TO her
on sex, AS SNI"' IL @MAut III
lady to be out alone, an l thought
thought
Then remarkable thing happened
The newspaper woman stopped, gave
him a tremendous hug and kissed him
/ square on the freckled cheek. II made
him feel uncomfortable, but somehow
he was glad afterward to remember it
1t was busy winter, socially and po-
litically. There was news, and impOr-