The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-06-26
THE REPORTERS STORY.

anu near many strange slcr1eS. some true.
but the majority not. But surely the
strangest OF al is that I am about 70
relate.
1t is customary for newspaper men TO
buy almost every afternoon paper in or
der 70 famiIiarize themselves with events
that have taken place in the time inter
venins between the previous issue Of the
morning paper on which they are en-
ployed and the following one. Not that
this has anything TO do with the story
except that it serves TO introduce one OF
the characters. I always bought my pa
per from one boy-"JiTa-' Taylor by name
and thus formed rather liking for him.
for he was always courteous-and dirty.
jim, I had learned from him. was an
orphan and lived at the Newsboys' Lodg-
ing house. He had no care beyond earn
ing enough to feed and clothe himself.
and OF course, q sufficient amount left
over for a ticket for de gallery in de
teayter,' accompanied BY the traditional
pint OF peanuts.
In the two or three years I had known
Jim he had never been absent from his
post Of duty at the corner. But about
two months ago he was missing from his
accustomed place Of business and al
though I made inquiries I could get no
Information concerning. him beyond the
fact that his companions hadn't heard
narthin' of him" So, after pondering as
10 whether the little fellow had commit
ted criminal act and had been sent to
| some institution or had been run over
by some vehicle and was perhaps lying
in hospital without relatives or friends
TO care as TO the result OF his injuries.
and further inquiries proving fruitless,
the name Of Jim passed temporarily
from my mind
A week ago, upon going to the Office 10
get my assignment for the day. I
/ found that opposite my name on the
book were these instructions: See SEN
ator II. in regard TO the rumor that he
had been offered the presidency Of the
- National bank"
Going to the senator's house, my sum
mons at the door was answered by a
I rather bright looking boy dressed in the
conventional blue suit with white metal
buttons, OF whom 7 inquired: 'Is Senator
( Il. at howell. I'm blessed if this ism t
little Jim. How in the world did you
get here
At which Jim" smiled a very broad
smile and replied: Yes. sir. the senator
( is at home. How did get here? Oh. the
senator VIII tell you that If he isn't too
busy. Your card. please"
This was said in a tone plainly indicat-
I ing that he was 10 be treated in a man
ner becoming his station as Door Boy,
and not with the familiarity he had been
/ accustomed to as Newsboy.
Ny card was handed him. and he re-
/ turned with the announcement that the
senator would receive ne in his study,
and would I please 10 walk in
The senator proved 10 be q man Of
/ small stature, with clean-shaven face and
had altogether q boyish appearance. AZ
ter such formal introduction customary TO
newspaper men making thenaselves known
to entire strangers. I boldly started IN
/ with: Senator 1 called TO see you IN
! reference TO the runor that you were
! offered the-oh, by the way, excuse me,
/ but how do you happen to have Jim Tay-
/ lor IL your employ? He and are old
! acqualntances.
! could not resist the temptation to sat
/ isfy my curiosity on that score before at
/ tending to my official duty.
Indeed" replied the senator. It am
/ very glad to hear it, for my wife and
/ think a great deal Of James. and are
happy to do q favor for any of his friends.
( AS 70 how I came to employ Jim as
! you call him, it is a story well worth
the telling. in confidence. Of course, al
though the Joke was on me.
! you see. about a year ago I was called
/ out west te attend to some business con
/ corning my committee. Continuous trav-
/ cling is not conducive to improving a
/ mans personal appearance, so you need
! not marvel that when I arrived in New
/ Z ork on the return from flying trip to
! Cincinnati I was covered with dust and
/ was looking rather seedy. Indeed, 1 was
/ in such a hurry to get to my hotel that
/ I paid no attention 10 my personal ap-
1 pearance, and so my face was dust-be-
! grimmed when I stood on the hotel steps
AS 7 had only an hour TO spare before
| starting of again-this time for Albany
! II thought it would be a good idea tc
/ get some bright newsboy to carry a note
1 had written on the train over TO Judge
/ Brown S office. I had learned that 2
quarter of a dollar invested in a newsboy
win bring quicker results than double
/ the amount paid 70 an incorporated insti-
tuition for the service of q slow-goine
messenger.
"Wel. Jim Taylor happened TO be
standing near the hotel steps selling pa
! pers, SO I called him and instructed him
as TO delivering the message AS Jim
had great many papers. said I would
! take them into the hotel and leave them
/ with the clerk urtn he came back Just
as 1 was about 10 80 into the Office, wbc
( should sing out 2 CHEEKY why. senator
how are yoU7 but Judge Brown himself
/ Clad 10 see him? Wen. rather / forgot
/ that I was standing there on the steps
/ Of q public house with a muddy face and
a bundle OF papers under my arm.
The judge and I stood there for soms
| minutes discussing some business mat
ters. when our conversation was inter
rI-ted by p handsome woman, accompa-
MED by an equally attractive young girl
1 who asked me for an evening paper and
rendered a 10-cent piece 1T payment.
The situation dawned upon me a,
. 0uick as a fash, and although my faCs
! assumed all the colors of the rainbow.
/ calmly fat least 7 think 7 diG) HANDED
A.
/ her change. Just imagine! She thouEh'
( was selling papers. and that n ths
presence Of the judge, too However,
smiled sereneiv But when I overhead RI
/ the conversation that ensued between thr
two ladies you can picture that smile
( changing into chsgrin. TX raa this way.
Poor feuowi1 said the young lady =
her companion, he looks rs II he had seer
better DAYS
Yes responded the younger. but b,
seems 10 be ord enough 10 keep his facs
washed
..This was too much Abruptly lesviaT
the fu6re. who was convulsed with laugh
ter. ] threw the papers away, rushed intc
fhe hotel office registered, took ba-h
was shave5. and left just in time 70 cstcf
/ my trair-
-As James was waiting st the judge
4 onIce for him. Of course I had depsrts5
( before he came bsck and 90 he I'D ret
get either his quarter or his 7evspapers
Tor I did not give him thousht % rn5
chaEri- a1a haste t. ct sWaT.
..Keu 7 1nst tha pretty young lsty sew
/ eral times afterwar5 az receptions. and
/ those - the judge house. 20, u.in1 Tou
srd although ths 5usEc hsi not know
her II ths rirre Of the riziclllo-1s r-istsl-s
he Immediately rscafseS rhs inclde-t and
came very nezr making the facts kncT-
10 her. managed tc rraw hirn aside ir
tlr-e - enforce q coEracr n7t - areafns
w1rd aecut the waiter
.'Tzo weeks sEo IS you Eu17- va
-,-rrses 70 shza sane cha-utIg TucrE