Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-09-01


what probably lay at the bottom of it;
and so had an answe ready for Jack
when the latter screwed up his ceur-
age to ask for Ethel She had been
as i'll as he, they told him, and like
him was now slowly but surely recov-
ering. And Jack must not worry
about her in the least, for the doctor
would bring him news from her every
day.
So Jack kept obediently quiet among
his pillows, listening intently for the
doctors footsteps, and flushing like
girl when the news was good, as,
somehow, it always was. One day
the brown-eyed nurse brought him a
great bunch Of roses, bought at the
price of her weeks salary, and told
him that Ethel had sent them. When
she saw how Jack buried his face in
the roses and kissed their petals lin
geringly, as if they were Etheps lips,
a wave of angry hate surged in the
nurses heart for the girl who could
play with such a love, forget it and
forsake it. The wave, receding, left
it's traces in the trembling of the cool
white hands that smoothed so deftly
his hot pillows and brushed so gently
his thick, wavy hair.
But not word escaped her lips, and
Jacks evil day might have been put
off Indefinitely had it not been for
Evans, the blunderer. When Jack
grew well enough to see his friends
for a few minutes at a time Evans
was one of the first to call, and with
his usual i'll luck plunged directly into
condolences. Jack did not quite un-
derstand at first, but Evans, founder
ing ahead, soon made it clear to the
invalid that Ethel had not been ILL.,;
but that, on the contrary, while the
issue of his illness had been still
doubtful, she had thrown him over
and had announced her engagement to
another.
After that Jack went back into the
valley of the shadow and knocked at
the very gates of death. But the doc
tor and the nurse, working desperate
ly together, pulled him away and led
him back into a gray sort Of lightless
life. Whereat he was not so grateful
as he ought to have been. And when
he found that he must get WE'LL wheth-
err he would or no, he announced that
he was going back to work at once.
The doctor demonstrated, commanded,
begged, in vain, and the shy pleadings
Of the nurse had no effect.
Back he crept to his old haunts, a
thin, pale ghost of his former self. The
young fellows who were doing his
work looked at him with a pity that
was akin to fear and asked them
selves: "Shall we, too, come to that?"
For they thought that work had
caused his illness, and that illness had
made him what he was.
His old desk had long since been in
the possession Of another, but the pro-
gave orders at once that he should be
employed at whatever he was able to
do. The managing editor, cycling him
obviously, but recalling the brilliance
that had once been his, turned him
over to the city editor. And the city
editor, whom Jack had had instructed
in the rudiments, did not forget the
debt he owed, but placed Bingham
opposite the easiest assignments in his
book until the staff would have risen
in open revolt had the object OF this
favoritism been any one else.
As it was, Jack himself was the first
to complain. Banquets and balls, re-
ceptions and races, lectures, sermons
and interviews, quickly cloyed the ap-
petite Of the newspaper man who had
been used to the strong meat of jour
nalism for his daily diet.
Give me something with blood in
it," Jack said to the city editor one
day. I'm tired of this woman'S work.
When l was on earth before they were
not afraid to send me out after big
stories once in while
Its for you we're afraid and not
for the story, Jack, and you know it, y
eXpostulated the man on the city desk.
Even the Kid believes that no man
on the paper can work UP a sensation
enough vet for a rough job, Jack.
Look in the glass and see for yourself.
Just take it easy for a while longer,
old man. and trust us to work you hard
enough by-and-by to make up"
The STORY with blood in it" came
sooner than any one expected. The
| very next night Jack CHANGED to be
alone IN the reporters room when the
city editor came to the door and cast
worried glance around.
mo one else here jack? he asked.
''Then you will have to go. l hate to
send you, for it's hard trip, but We'll
help you out all we can. They have
| just telephoned me from the union
station that there's a big smash at Mad
River. A wreck train will go out in
| ten minutes Catch it on your life.
Rush in first story for an extra and
then plan to do the introduction for
| the later editions. I'll get more men
| ont To Won inst as soon as nOSSihla