The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-24
A COMPROMISE.

journalist, purchased the Wayback
Register. Six months before the paper
changed hands the orders to cancel
subscriptions when they expired came
in by twos and threes and by every
other known combination.
Alfred Hubbard had not inquired into
the financial standing of his purchase
with the caution that he would have
observed had he been embarking in an
enterprise in which his business inter
ests were not so completely overshad-
owed by his enthusiasm for the ideal
side of the venture
When the knowledge of the in minent
overthrow of his pet scheme gradually
forced itself upon him, it did not I'M
nerve him. He was prolific in We'll de-
of newspaper, and he set about to put
them into practice with a zest that
augured either to kill or cure the pop
ularity of his journal.
From an eight page weekly, issued
every Thursday morning, The Register
blossomed out into four page tr1-
weekly, with an occasional illustrated
supplement and the dry as dust col
unns, which for many years had form
ed the mental bone and sinew of Al
TOMAS population, were transformed
into a sensat1onalisrs paradise OF elec-
trifying headlines and startling para
graphs.
He wrote to numerous prospective
correspondents in sister towns, request
lions as racy and interesting as the cir
cumStanceS would permit, and the
amateur pencil showers took advantage
of the license allowed them and went
in full tilt.
For three months The Register ran
along in the broad way of evildoing,
and for three months its circulation in
creased from day to day as it had
never done before and its fame spread
throughout that part of the state. At
the end of that time one of the many
threatened lawsuits was brought to a
head.
"Lavina Ogden versus Alfred Hib-
bard SANDER" was the third case set
for hearing before the Altoona
county circuit court when that body
was convened in May.
The grounds on which the plaintiff
brought suit was an item which APP
peared in The Register in April to the
certain age, was about to instfSdte legal
proceedings against a gentleman of I'M
certain age, name unknown, for the
purloining of her affections, which in
the course of time had been ruthlessly
thrown aside to make way for another
set of affections
Miss Lavina stoutly affirmed that her
affections We're intact and in her keep
ing, and always had been, and she
estimated the value of a statement to
the contrary at $4,000.
The trial lasted more than a week,
and it's progress was watched with I'M
bounded interest by the community at
large, which hardly knew whether to
be pleased or disappointed when the
jury returned verdict requiring Hib-
bard to pay, to the last penny, the
amount considered an equivalent for
maligned reputation.
A month passed after the reading of
the decision, and Hubbard had made no
move toward settlement. Through her
lawyers Miss Lavina demanded an ex-
PLANTATION. Hubbard that evening called
on Miss Lavina to conduct the re-
mainder of the disagreeable suit from
a personal standpoint.
Miss Ogden" he said bluntly at the
beginning of the interview, IT am sorry
that anything should have been printed
in my paper derogatory to your char
acter. The item which has proved to
be such a bone of contention was given
to me by a correspondent piece of
news and / used it. 1 assure you that
in the publication of that paragraph
was actuated by no personal motive,
for until the beginning of this trouble
you were total stranger to me.
You claim that your pride and good
name have been injured to the extent
of $4,000. Miss Ogden, / have been
studying you closely during the last six
weeks, and am convinced that if there
is any woman deserving of that amount
it is yourself.
1.-The only property I have in the
world is the Wayback Register. The
whole plant wouldn't figure up to half
that amount. I have but one sugges-
ton to make-I will give you a half in
terest in The Register. Is that salts
factory"
Miss Lavina took ten days to con-
slider the matter. Her answer made
Hubbard quail. She wanted $4,000 or
its equivalent within another ten days.
When his second respite drew to an
end, he called on his antagonist again.
IT couldn't get the money. Miss Og-
den,'' he said in great contrition. IT am
sorry for your sake and my own; more
SO on your account than mine. have
come today to offer another COM
promise. / freely give you the Way
back Register CON plete. I have but
one other thing to throw in to make up
the balance. That is myself. Do you
the five thousand and some odd dol
lars? If so, / can cancel my Indebted
ness at once"
1t was a unique proposal, and the
law of the eternal fitness of things re-
quired that it should meet with
unique reception.
This is not sudden" she said calm
ly. II foresaw from the beginning that
you would do this very thing. You are
of convenience, but you will learn to
like me in time. There are some traits
in your chara that I admire and
others that should like to develop. On
the whole, think you are worth five
thousand dollars, and I think I will
take YOU
And that was the way Alfred Hib-
bard effected compromise.
Patrol Driver Frank Asher is short
on Christmas coin. He lost his pocket
book or was touched he doesn't know
which, while going home to dinner
Sunday. He is quite hopeful that the