The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-02-04
RATIFIED BY A GIRL.

q
particularly if she be young and have nice
soft hair To distract the eye and well form
ed white fingers and be withal exceeding
" pleasing. but for reporter with long
yarn to write and a limited amount OF
time to finish it things sometimes have
different aspect
Near Printing House square is type
writing office which many newspaper men
frequent A new girl came there one day
last week-a real nice girl and an excel
lent operator-but she had never done that
kind of work before While she was sit
ting in the main room upon the afternoon
of her first day newspaper man came
busting in, and
Mrs j., have you got anybody to take
two column story in hurry
Eyes, - replied-the manager Here Is
young lady who has just come TO US. Miss
Brown-Mr. Smith. You can go into that
corner ROOM"
In three minutes the young lady was
seated at her machine, the newspaper man
was sorting out his notes, and the door
was closed so as to leave them undisturbed
"Now, if you will please begin, the
newspaper man said. =" In these days OF
stern reality and suffering and struggle for
existence a romantic episode comes upon
one with the refreshing delight with which
a traveller in desert beholds an oasis.
Clickety -cIickety-click went the keys,
and then
'sIsn't that Iovelyi Is it going to be
novel;"
The newspaper man looked up in amaze
ment, but it was utterly impossible to be
angry with such blue eyes regarding him
in admiration.
"No." he said ''Please go on. In the
monotonous routine of Tombs police court
cases, however, there was one yesterday
behind which lay story SO romantic and
SO picturesq ne that it would almost seem
| to have been created by great novelist
who had striven to excel all his past ef-
forts.'''
When this had been recorded, and while
the newspaper man was wondering what
he would say next, the young lady, sInil-
ing most radiantly, prattled on in this
fashion:
THAT'S just splendid. 1t sounds like q
real novel Did you ever read 'Clarissa;
or, The Forlorn Hope?' 1t begins some
| thing like that, only it isn't SO interest
! like that before. The last place l worked
| in 1 had nothing to do but copy letters.
| oh, dear, wasn't it tiresome, thought
| The newspaper man felt his collar get
| ting too small, but after swallowing some
! thing that seemed to stick in his throat
he said as gently as possible:
Won't you please go on? I'm in some
| what OF a hurry. What have you got there?''
| ''Where?'' in great surprise.
g / mean, please read over what die
tated.
"Oh, how stupid 1 am! in these days
! of stern reality-how do you pronounce
| that wcrd-in two sylIables or threei
| Thank you stern reality and suffer
| ing -
! And she read what she had written.
| Then, just the newspaper man had set
tied back in his chair, determined to die
tate to the end without giving her another
opportunity TO interrupt him, she said:
Excuse me, 1 think my bair is coming
down"
| She went to little mirror in a corner
| of the room, examined her hair carefully
| and then, after touching up the puffs Of
| her sleeves and smoothing her waist, she
. sighed and returned TO her seat
There, now; I'm all ready"
| For the next few minutes she had Il
| work so hard that she hadn't time to say
single word. But soon the page wa
filed, and she had to insert new sheet
! and that was her opportunity.
| Gracious! How fast you dictated i
almost takes my breath away. But d.
you know 1 like it. L think it's good prac
tice. We're you there when all that hap
ened? N.Y. wish l could be reporter. ;
The newspaper man went on with hi
|
mad, but he hadn't the heart to say harsl
word to the girl. She was really yer.
pretty, and as she became interested in tn
story a delicate flush mantled her cheeks
and it was positive pleasure to watch her
| But a newspaper man has no time TO
pleasure during business hours, and thes
charms did not interest him as much a
they might have done under other circum
stances, so he struggled brayely on.
| ,5cba laiD oe
in the middle of a sentence, "did that real
ly happen?"
eyes, yesi Will you please go onP'
'sWell, the ideal l wouldn't have be
heved it. Do you know, l don't believ
half what l read in the papers, but c
course if you say so it must be true"
'sI'm very sorry can't chat with you
Miss Brown, but really I'm in a grea
hurry"
ooh, beg your pardon! I forgot a
about that. -
For nearly ten minutes there was not
break in the dictation, save where a shee
became fun and a fresh one had to be il
serted. The typev ritter kept her lips ffrml
pressed together, as if she were exertin
all her strength to keep silent 1t wa
clear to see that it could not last muc
longer. In the middle of a paragraph sh
suddenly stopped, and with brief Ga
cuse me fer moment left the room. |
a few seconds she returned, with her jaw
moving coEclusiyely and piece of chew
| ing gum in her hand.
"Wont you have some?" she asked p'
litely.
IN -n-no-and-I'll tell you what-er-
. | guess l won't have time to finish tn
story today. I'll come back some 9th,
time
ooh, you're not going, are you? II
awfuIIy sorry. 1 was just getting interes
J ed in the story
every sorry-er-how much? Here. Z
!. | right. Good dayr'
And seizing the few sheets that lay
! the desk the newspaper man went ava