The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-28

n see that Mark Twain has returned
after his long absence abroad" remarked
an old newspaper reporter last night. says
the New Orleans Timos- ID emocrat. but
] am sorry 70 note thlt be mas changed
his mind about coming South o. lecture.
/ hoped 20 have chance TO iutefvieW him
and incidentally. to thank MIN again Ter
big favor b. dla me a good many years
ago. u Was rather an odd experience
Tho old reporter went on. Il was yo1ng
and green az the time and had just Sc
cured a 'trai job' OF a ncwspaper IN De-
troit. when Mr. Clemens came 20 the city
40 deliver a lecture. n 90 happened thAY
an our best reporters were on that night
on local murder sensation, ard tho CITY
editor called me- up very reluctantly. as
I thought. and assigned me 20 nave
talk with the great humorist. had step
ped our Of the Office but was suil within
ear-shot when tho night EDITOR came IN.
who have sou got on the Clemens inter
We've I heard him ask. That rev I'll
low the city editor replied. oh. LordH
said the night editor That brief remark
filled me with mingled emotions IN which
wrath. modification ard apprehension
were present iu about equal quantities 1
found the humorist standing before the
fireplace smoking a briar pipe ARD attitei
AiA a sun - NAIAAAAANs AANF IVY
startled me. Tor / didn't dream tnat he
had time 60 uudress. ana ! promptly lost
my few remaining shreds q self-p sHes-
sion. Al my questions new out OF my
brain like scattering c1vey OF guam.
ana absolutely the only thing could think
OF asking him was how he liked the town.
He looked az me quizzlcally. consider
ing that / arrived after dark. he dra~lej,
and was driven direct 20 the tneater ard
then direct 20 the hotel. my impressions
are favorable / think you have v-ry
good quality OF nights In Detroit he adj
ded after pause fully equal 20
tho nights have encountered
elsewhere That was a capital lead
but was too badly rattled
60 take Il. ] stumbled through Few
idlotlc commonplace. and realizing. evil
IDENTIFY. that there was no use wasting
any more fun on such a chump. he an
swered in weary monosyllahies. In few
minutes gave up IN despair. Now, don't
make too much Of this he remarked as
/ started for the door ana while the
caution was no doubt prompted by fear
that I would write something phenome-
nally stupid Il had the effect OF putting
me suddenly al my eaee. Don't worry
about that. Mr. Clemens ] replied, i m
noe going 20 write anything at all, eN-
cept my resignation, ADD thereupon told
him briefly the story Of my assignment.
As had by that tlmc FUZZY determined 10
throw up my job ana was no longer
apprehensive. ! suppose I told Il easily
ard naturally. At any rate hts eyes
twinkled. ard when ! came 90 the part
about the night editor ne threw back HE
head and roarcd with laughter. Hold
/ cnr he exclaimed when he caught his
breath: wen have to turn the tables
on that fellow sure' Just sit down there
with your paper and TN see whether /
] can't dictete something. 1 obeyed in
a sort Of dazc. and he began striding w
and down che room. pufinE his pipe and
running his fingers through his bushy
hair. In half an hour he had given me
a column monologuc about his experiences
on the train coming IN. The road was a
VIGOROUSLY ramshachie affair. ana ne
roasted Il ga his happiest vein. Now
you must cut that up into paragraphs
he said when he got through. and sling
lea few questions here and there 60 make
Il look dialoguy. Then l think you'll
have about what YOU want When I
turned IN my copy the city editor nearly
ten out OF hts chair. . His establishment
pleased me more than a raise in sliary
but ! was litsle disappointed IN the
demcanor OF the night editor. / expected
be would look ehamed and remorseful
hut he didn't. He merely remarked that
appearances were -- deceptive which 7
took as unkind