The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-09-19

tnere ana everywhere In big build
Ing. Alice Phelps, who is supposed to
be the prettiest girl in the newspaper
business, has desk In 4OS on the
fourth floor.
There she sat one morning writing
abb ct nonsense for the woman's page
and cordially despising herself, but her
face wore smile OF sanity bcatitude,
as 1t always does when she is writing
She herself declares it to be risus sar-
donicus, the smile imprinted by certain
poisons upon the faces OF those that
die OF them.
"Mr. Bangs wants to see YOU" said
the little typewriter girl from the
tenth floor.
Morton Bangs was the city editor. a
fierce creature who inhabited a raised
platform called Devils island, situated
at the west end OF the reporters room
He had once been an amiable and rath-
er handsome man, but ten years on the
whittietree OF the car OF Juggernaut,
driving the team with one hand and
hanging on just ahead Of the wheels
with the other, had made his face and
his manners as rugged as a crater on
the moon.
Miss Phelps approached Devils is-
land by the usual channels and gave
good morning to It's grim commander
Mr.. Bangs returned the salutption,
which he wouldn't have done for any
body else In the world. He put
newspaper clipping into Miss Phelps
hand.
Here's that pipe dream that The
Evening Star printed yesterday" said
he. II want you to find out what's
back Of 1t. This thing has thrown a
scare into every city editor In town.
1t may be fake, but the chances are
that there's q big story In It."
Miss Phelps glanced at the clipping.
She had seen the paragraph on the
previous day, and she understood Mr..
Bangs feelings. This is what had
scared him:
"a social sensation Of the first mag
nitude is impending. An engagement
between one Of the richest young
bachelors in the city and the most
beautiful debutante Of the season Is
love and war. Two families among
the most prominent in New York are
estranged by this event. and the result
will be struggle for social supremacy
the like Of which has not been seen in
many a day.
Moreover, this romance has ram
iflcations In the business world, for the
fathers of the interested parties have
been drawn into the quarrel, and Wall
street Will feel the shock before many
days. One OF these gentlemen is al
ready beginning operations here, and
the other Is hurrying home from
abroad, having been apprlsed Of the
facts by cable and foreseeing the re-
suit And the cause Of all this Is the
infatuation of the young millionaire
for tho daughter Of a mechanic, a girl
said to be very beautiful, and also very
Industrious. as she earns her living by
arduous daily toll"
1t Is very unusual for New York
paper to print anything like that. The
rule Is that news without names Is no
news at all. In Paris or London such
hints In the press are common, but
rarely does any Journal Of consequence
in America content itself with report
30 vague.
"l've had five of the highest salaried
chumps on the staff hunting for this
thing" said Bangs, "and they've all
fallen dow. fiat You've got to get It,"
II don't believe l can," said Miss
Phelps.
'Yes, you can," replied Bangs, land
I'll tell you why-frst, because you're
smart: second, because you're lucky,
and, third, because you have pull with
some millionaires. l refer particularly
to the Stafford Ogdens"
Miss Phelps face flushed suddenly.
Don't ask me to go to see Mrs. Stat
ford Ogden on such an errand," said
she.
why notT demanded Bangs "You
got chummy with her at Montauk
Point among the sick soldiers last gum
mer. You printed her name all over
the first page Of The Globe for q week
and filled the supplement with her on
Sunday. What does she expect2
Didn't you find her son Raymond In
the hospital tent and cover him with
a blanket when the sea fog was whis-
Ting through the bullet hole in his
shoulder bladeT
young Mr. Ogden" said Miss
Phelps, was shot In the breast. He
happened to be going up San Juan
hill at the time and the bullet was
coming down"
"Well, anyhow" said Bengs, "you
covered him with blanket, or was It
a tablecloth? 1t doesn't matter. Go
ask his mother IL she knows what
crazy millionaire 1t Is that wants to
marry outside the Four Hundred.
There's mighty little going on In the
swell set that she doesn't see."
Cant somebody else 60 to see herp
pleaded Miss Phelps.
"My young friend" retorted the city
editor. "she won't see anybody else.
In my opinion, she has the story right
in her noddle, and The Globe can't get
left on 1t. The key Of the street is
waiting for me if get beaten on this,
30 remember that you're gambling for
my Job as well as your owp."
With this fearsome announcement,
which might or might not DO intended
as q joke. Mr.. Bangs closed the inter
view and turned to other tasks.
Miaa Phelns had n few moments of