The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-09-15

treated to the composing room.
"For the rest of the day they kept
him pretty we'll supplied with work.
When not so provided he spent his
time perched on a high stool blowing a
wheezy mouth organ and occasionally
shouting Copyl' in an agonized tone.
Once or twice something offended him
and he threatened to resign, but, as the
ladies Immediately surrendered, moth
ing came Of it.
"The next two days passed in a
somewhat uneventful manner. BY Civ
ing him plenty of work he was kept
reasonably quiet. There was not much
trouble Thursday, either, though short.
ly after noon he set up a loud roar, say
ing that he had been taken suddenly
sick and was in mortal agony. The
ladies asked him if they could not do
something for him, but he only howled
the louder and finally lay down on the
floor upon his back and began pound
ing the boards fiercely with his heels.
A doctor was called, but as 500 as
Tatters saw him he got up quickly and
went back to work.
WHATS the matter with you,
young man?' inquired the doctor. .
Anthony poison from the Type
answered Tatters, dismally. 'In 60
off some day with it just like-scatl All
good printers die of it sooner or later
"Tatters may have told the truth
shout his illness, but l learned later on
that he had eaten his hatful Of green
apples at noontime, and you can draw
your own conclusions.
FRIDAY was press day, and the la
dies arrived at the Office early. Tatters
rushed into the front room and, ad-
dressing himself confdentially to the
city editor, said:
"tSay, want a bully item OF newer
"'Why, yes, Tatters, of course; what
is it9'
"'Dog fight answered Tatters.
Jim Beasley's dog and Deacon Ketch-
AIMS. Down by the post office. The
deacon didn't want his dog to fight,
but Jim didn't care. Set down and get
your p~encil-tell you all about it. You
see, the dogs met, and Jim's dog sort of
walked around the deacon's dog once
or-what's the matter? Amt you going
to use it?'
"The editor said she thought not.
&C What , cried Tatters, in conster-
nation, nothing about it after 1
watched it and got all the facts for
youp'
"No, l don't think we care for it,
"Now, see here,' said Tatters,
dropping his voice into a still more con-
idential tone, act reasonable, as you
say to me. 1 saw last night your paper
was going to be dull, that it needed
livening up-'tain't all your fault, it's a
dead week-I saw this, 1 say, and what
do you think l did this morning, just to
help you outp'
"ti don't know, Tatters-what wal
it?'
"Tatters came closer, sank his voice
almost to q whisper and said:
drove the deacon's dog around
to the place and then l sicked Jim's
onto him. All to give you an iteml'
"The lady was deeply touched by
his devotion, and said as much, but
was forced to add that they could not
mention a common dog fight in their
edition.
SKATERS drew back and stood silently
gazing at her. She expected nothing
less than a final resignation on the
spot. But his face showed sorrow
rather than anger. The young lady
thought she detected a tear, but this Ia
not probable. For a half minute he
did not move, then he said:
"sYou couldn't use it in a funny way,
either, l s'pose? 1t was funny. The
deacon pulled on his dogs tail and Jim
pulled on his dogs tail, though Jim
didn't do any hard pulling-Jim may
have pushed a little when the deacon
wans't noticing. You wouldn't let me
write it up, either, l s'pose?'
ono, Tatters. I'd like to, but 1
can't
"Tatters turned back to the compos-
ing-room and not a sound was heard
from him except the steady click of his
type for an hour.
at was eleven o'clock when the
editor-in.chief came into the Office and
said to to the city editor:
"'I think there is an item of news
for us out at Tarbox's, on the Coopers-
vile road. 1 hear that Mr.. Tarbox has
been injured by an unruly COW. It's
only a mile and a half out there-can't
you go out on your bicycle and get the
~particulars?'
"There was q loud shout behind them
and Tatters burst in and ran through
the room, shedding his apron in his
flight and saying:
Gem tend to that, girlsl I'm the
wild-cow editor of this paperl Back in
ten minutesp
"The editor-in. chief ran to the win
dow and looked down into the street.
"'Goodness, graciousl' she cried to
the other. 'There he goes on your BIZ
cycle, riding like the wind and shout
ing for everybody to get out of the
way of the wild-cow editor. What shall
we do now9'
I'll see if / can't catch him on your
bicycle. And I'll 60 on and find out
about the accident, anyhow.
"But, though she was a good rider,
she might as we'll have tried to over
take an express train as the wild.cow
editor. Leaning over the handlebar
and ringing the bell constantly, he
never slackened his pace for The whole
distance. When she arrived at Tarbox's
she found that he had got the facts,
gone down the lane and started back
by another road. She saw MI. Tarbox,