Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-03-16
THE LINOTYPE LADY.
BY II. c. PEARSON.

~
and to his partner as 'tthe old man."
expressed the general feeling as to
the new girl when he said to the edi-
tor one day:
"The linotype lady wants to know
if this is right.
''The what?" calculated Willis in
amazement
''The linotype lady. That's what
she is. l know 'em when l see one,
an she's the real article
SO she was christened, and the
name stuck, to the envy Of the other
girls.
| About week after this addition to
the force, Willis opened the Wing one
evening and glanced first, as was his
custom, at the editorial page. For
perhaps half minute he stared in
blank amazement. Then he dropped
the paper and executed war dance.
In response to his frantic calls the
manager fastened into the inner edi-
torial sanctum and calmly inquired
what was the matter.
''Has the foreman dropped out
another line in the makeup or did
your typewriter go off its feet and
make mistake for which you wish to
blame the proofreader? What ails
you, anyway"
''Have you looked at the editorial
page?" asked Willis.
"Why, no, what's wrong with it?''
''Did you write or cause to be writ
| ten that Jarvis editorial?'
| ..u1n
none and know nothing about any. 1
thought we were to be neutral in that
fight"
'''That was the way understood it,"
said Willis, more puzzled now than
angry, "but here is the strongest kind
of an editorial in tonight's Whig ad-
vocating the election of Jarvis. If
you don't know anything about it and
1 don't know anything about it who
does know about it? And what are
we going to do about it?"
First, let's find out who does know
about it, very practically suggested
the manager. "What does the proof
reader say?"
But the proofreader had never seen
the editorial until they showed it TO
her. She was positive that she had
not read the proof of it, and the copy
holder supported her by affirming that
no copy for it had passed through her
hands.
| When the foreman who made up the
paper was questioned he did remember
placing the type in the forms and read
ing the headline, but that was as far
as his information went. And the as
sistant foreman, who gave out the
copy, made the mystery deeper than
ever by asserting that no such editorial
matter had been handled by him. The
devil" who took the proofs, was
equally certain that he had had moth
ing to do with that particular lot of
type.
The linotype operators were next in
order for questioning. and among them
Willis expected to find the solution of
the puzzle, for it was only too evident
been put in type by somebody. But
one after another of the operators
denied all knowledge of the matter
until the entire roll had been called
without the faintest glimmering of
light. Willis noticed that when he
approached the linotype lady she was
very pale and apparently disturbed,
but when he asked, ''Did you see the
copy for this editorial, Miss?" she
answered so promptly: "No, sir.
and met his gaze so uufinchingly that
he had not the heart to doubt her.
All investigation having thus proved
fruitless, the editor and the manager
shut themselves ia again for further
discussion.
"The next question is, said Willis,
"what shall we do about it?"
''It looks to me-" replied the man
ager, ''as if we ought to make the best
of it and adopt Jarvis as our candi-
date
'But that is probably just what the
person wants who put up this job on
Us" objected Willis.
PRECISELY" assented the manager;
"but what other course is open to us?
If, without explanation, we oppose
Jarvis, we shall be called turncoats,
weather-vanes and other choice names.
If, on the other hand, we tell just what
has happened and give it as our reason
for opposing Jarvis, who will believe
us? No one. Like great deal of
truth, it is absurdly improbable. Now
you and I know that Jarvis is not a
bad fellow and that he will make a
pretty good governor. He differs
from us on some points, know, but
perhaps we can bring him around to
our way of thinking after while. He
is one OF those men whom it is easier
to lead than to drive, anyway. Now
what do You say?"
Willis did not fancy the idea at all,
but the longer he pondered the further
, away he found himself from any other
, way out of the difficulty. So he