The Press., 1896-03-19

 story mile long. Let's see. What ex- cuse have you for going?" Y
 :.:We@want help to set it up,' grinned Peeto ,sme" ]..'@', ~:
 "That s it to T. Now scud and what ever you do don't put your foot in. it. Don t wait for coat or hat Go up the stairs as if the old boy was after you. Burst ill on Booled and talk against time. Understand?"
 Like book. " And the delighted imp lodged around an imposing stone, dived down the stairs to the street and flew for The Standard office as if it was on fire. As he reached the foot of Booled's office stairs, the new reporter was just sallyiDg out for his customary review of the field he was daily required to cover He was destined not to go ont that day, fer PeetO's inky face and Peeto's inky hands so completely smeared the white vest he wore as to render the garment in question aperfect sight. Peeto's hard head also drove the breath out of his body with the force of the collision and rendered him for time very much dis inclined to travel.
 ''Oh, please, sir Be you the editor or bean't you? My boss has had such luck such luck! I'm MT Bob Brayton's devil, and he wants help"
 "I should think he would witt. you around. What s up? Office collapsed or has the benzine can caught fire? Say, young feller, ought to kick you farther than the bottom of these stairs. I ought to dance on you where you lay. Look at my vest. ''~
 "What's all this fracas and racket, Slocas?" called Booled from the top of the stairs.
 "Oh, it's nothing only this rascally kid. He was coming up about six stairs at bound, and he ran his bullet head nearly through my stomach. l kicked him down stairs, and he's bowling about it. '
 Well, did you hurt him much: He can't be dead from the way he ye1ls. Shut up, you young sardine. Come up here and come ill. You're collecting a crowd.
 Peeto slowly and painfully dragged himself up the stairs, and by Slocas' help, for Slocas' anger had subsided, gained B0oied's desk and stretched out on the exchanges and clippings utterly obliviOus of tue fact that he had tipped over large mucilage bottle which was soaking everything on the upper surface and ill the drawers beneath.
 "Oh, darn this newspaper business anyway. I'm sorry I ever became a pub fisher. Neigh ho! But ain't this been day? Say, you ought to see Bray ton. Why, the man s near crazy. Swears he'll do it. Says he'll do it if he busts Ha, ha He, be! We never got out paper before, you see, and verybodys green. New press, new type, new every, thing"
 Here Peeto paused to writhe aid groan for time and went on with his disjointed stoly, only in response to the many questions his entertainers piled him with.
 Whats happened? Why, ain't every thing happened. You ought to "a been over there and seen Hobbs dance around. Why, when that folm went-well, can t tell it. You just ought to "a seen it, '
 "Yes, yes. But what form was it? Tell us about it. ''
 ".Why, twas just little while ago. That's all ill heap"
 or the last?'
 | ''I don't know what page twas. know Brayton's soft enough to think you're comin over to help him dut of i this. muss, and: s'pose you will after you go to press. >. Y "Just about after and not before. I 'lid9n't propose to.spare men to help a r val. My motto is, Be just to yourself before you are generous to others, '' re- sponded Booled. Then he essaJed to question PeetO again, but the boys story was so rambling and so full of comical descriptions that it took long 'Ftime to get at any facts, and even these seemed contradictory.
 ''There we go tO press. guess Bray ton won't get out ahead of us today" laughed Booled ais he rose and whistled down for paper. When it came up, he glanced it over ina self satisfied way and with a preliminary laugh read the following article to Slocas: IT, ACCIDENT AT BRAYTON's JOBROOMs. l As we go to press we learn that the young men and boys who sought to give birth to curbstone dodger over at Brayton's job office today met with accident just the last form ready for the press which will prob ably render the proposed ''long felt want nearer a morning than an evening publication. Some of The Standards well trained force will be sent over to assist the boys in their undertaking, as we always believe in aiding I weakling in distress, be the circumstances what they may.
 "I thought l might as we'll slip that in day for news, and we wanted something to fill up. As twas, Busby had to give the boys '3O' 15 minutes earlier than usual Now, let's see Towering his voice). think wee better wait awhile, till we're about off. say, and then send one or two of the comps over. That'n show we want to be human and at the same time 'twon't do The Blade folks much good. " Slocas, who was busy get ting ink stains off his cOat-his vest was fit only for the laundry-grinned assent, and had he looked at Peeto, who was yet stretched out on the editorial desk, he would also have seen that happy youth grinning or making pretended grimaces of pain to hide his merriment.
 Slocas kept on working at his coat and Booled ran through few exchanges to pass away the time. PeetO waited pa tiently till he felt sure The Standards edition must be at least half off, and then stretching himself and yawning re- marked: "Well! feel better. sup pose Brayton will be lookin for me. Then you are not goin to send any men over to help set up that form?'' .'-~'' '
 "Oh, yes, we are. We intended to do that all the time as soon as we got over our work in hand. MT. Busby! Hey, there Busbyl Here he comes Say, Bus by, hadn't we better send two or three of the fellows over to help 'em out? You heard about The Blades accident, didn't you?"
 "Yes, sir, did. don't see how we can do much else. Have they sent over for help?"
 'Yes. This boys been waiting here