The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-17

awful clench. "Tomes! Burke! Gains
keeping his ear to the instrument.
There was no reply from the great
room outside the partition.
Anyone there?" yelled Aston; 'I
heard some one there. Come in here!"
At this there was a calm tread over
the floor outside, and the unseen worker
appeared at the door. 1t was the last
man Aston would have chosen to see
Merrilees the Debonair--as some one
Ner rsckpAmed him. lie was a special
writer, sometimes correspondent.
There was mystery about him. He
WAS known TO be great favorite in the
office of the editor in chief, and, In the
gloom of the Sunday atmospheres,
,Alston always regarded him as his ulti-
mate successor. Now this man stood
I'm the doorway, calm, big, blonde, well
Igroomed and quiet
'I did not know it was you," growled
Alston. "Is there anyone else? must
have man."
"What is it?" asked the calmly i'm
perative voice; something important ?"
"A row, fight-down to the Island.
Cutting, murder---God knows what!
Some one must catch that fcsIr o'clock
boat--must, say! VIII you go? Some
one must."
"The Twenty-Seven's Excursion"
observd the blonde man. Is anyone out
there? 1t was on the book, l think"
The city editor locked wild. ''There is
come one out tthere--but there is need of
inan--some one elsel TO on, hurry, will
,pu?"
"Shail I report to him? Who is it?"
At these legitimate questions Aston
Loiled over. Its Mrs. Francisco, il
YOU must know it, and this is the result
OF having a woman on the losal staff"
The blonde man had given him one look
0f--wcll, Aston could not classify it,
cnd then he dissolved himself into outer
e. ace and shades. The city editor lit
a cigar and swore. above and under his
breath, over the desk, and through the
telephone at everyone who called up.
Ills bad humor was supplemented by
C. fear, growing uneasiness that in an
ether would have been called the pangs
OF conscience.
From the bow Of the crowded river
stcamcr man impatiently, nay,
anxiously, watched the vanishing traces
cf the great city on either side of the
broad and sunlit river. The blood in
Mis- veins leaped hot and excited. His
very pulse-throbs said: Hurry! hur-
ry." His eyes were strained forward
10 catch the first glimpsce of the great
island pleasure resort. There the Sun
day afternoon crowd. to-day out under
tho call of tough's political club, called
ltae Twenty were having a
REGULAR riot, If the telephone news was
true. Swiftly the boat. which was
caIrying a large police posse, passed
by the suburbs and the scattered houses.
and steamed fast through the deep
green country, between the verdured
hill-sides. The boat crowd was rather
still, rs the people on board were
anxious, not drinking and singing as
usual. but strsining forward sight and
hearing 20 reach the island.
~ tho bow sat the big blond man.
Every now and then ne arose ne il TO
book ahead more carefully lie thought
great deal upon a certain subject
the young newspaper woman he was
sent out TO supplement or to rescue.
Rumor had said that women as well
as Incn were hurt and would be under
arrest. lie knew Mrs. Fruncisco's rep
iu.ation in the Office. She would not
shirlS. She would be in ot the dcath--
and he felt anxious.
Tie opposition and cnrnity in the
o1icc of the Leader against this young
wo,s an who wes doing a mans work,
had led him 70 know something OF her
capabilities and value as n reporter.
Personally he knew nothing Of her.
She came, she went. shc worl.ed-nnd
Leycld that was dead TO the newspaper
men. who could not forgive such cx-
eirs:yeness. cad that unaagging in
ldrzkX hhieh. nhA aisplayed. A. thins