The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-04
THE CUB REPORTER.


faith in humanity. As he had set moth
ing sfire with his briliiancy, the greater
part OF his work was Of the thankless
sort known as .'Ieg-work." which he
presumed eventually TO develop the
brain, although it begins with the calves
Day after day had found him Emporium
ing impatient people, and he was sick at
heart. He had long wondered how much
of this sort of thing it took 10 make a
cub u real, full-furred reporter. lie mar
yelled, also at the number of unpleasant
people in the world, and in his superior
eisdom he divided all humanity into two
classes. Doors and xe-grinders- And then
this happened-and. by the way. ii is
true, and happened TO q reporter IN New
York.
One winters night found him on the
platform OF a deserted railway station
without an idea how TO get five miles
( across country TO an old woman who had
/ just inherited a goodly share in the es-
tate of well-known bankers She had
I been his housekeeper and nurse, and the
viii was 10 be contested. His assign
ment was 10 interview her
Half d mile down the track stood a
+ signal-tower, the sole visible suggestion
that the region was inhabited. Thither
the reporter tramped, and after vain en-
deavors to make himself heard from be-
low, stumbled up the steps and in upon
the signal-man with a blast and q whiTl
of snow.
+ The signal-man was sorry he had no
means of sending the reporter over TO
the old woman's, or even of telling him
how TO get there. But if he would go
10 that house, the one just at the edge
of those trees, there where those two
little lights were, he might be able 10
hire a wagon or something, or be told
where to get one. The telegraph operator
at the station2 No, he went home fully
two hours ago. He lived eight miles up
the road, and would not be back until
8 o'clock next morning.
The cub was much obliged and started
without further delay for the two lights
in the shadow of the trees a mile away.
The first living thing he met was dog,
then another, and then a third. They
came, with long whines, bounding over
the snow towards him. from the porch Of
the house under the trees, and the FIVE
Tnile-distant old housekeeper might never
have seen him at all If a man had not
come out. after an agonizing interval. and
called off the grumbling animals. The
reporter, standing very still, told who
he was, glad enough to be able to ex-
plain, and disclosed his reason for seek
ing the house. giving the signal-man as
a reference.
that the man on the porch called out;
Don't stand out there. Come in" ad-
ding. just as if it we're a summer even
ing, I'll see if / can't get you over
there, but it's the longest-down, Jeff
the longest five miles you ever saw-go
way, dog, down, sir-dOn't mind him,
he won't bite, he's only smelling you
it nearer seven miles. Pretty bad night,
isn't it? But you fellows have to go
a Of
you?"
BY this time the cub was in the house,
and, before he could answer or even
shake the snow from his coat, he was
ushered into the bosom of the family
with this introduction, as the door of
the lvingroom was swung open before
him: Kate, here's a reporter who wants
TO go over TO Hillside. I'm going TO see
If / can't drive him over" With this
the cubs saviour retreated, leaving him
ringling with the warmth in the center
of the ROOM Mrs. Kate slender
smooth-haired woman, sitting by the
fireplace was struggling with a sturdy
four-year-old who declined peaceable en-
try into nightgown. There were two
other red-cheeked children in the room
"a boy of twelve, who ran out in a mo-
ment in response TO a far-away sum-
mons from his father and a little girl,
who pored over a muslin book, her head
and book close under the unshaded
binding lamp.
The cub babe the assemblage good
evening. The wife. at last victorious in
her struggles, smiled, nodded TO him.
and said i'll the cheeriest tone imagin-
able, ''Good-evening; it isn't the best
night in the year for driving. is it?'
In wonder the cub looked at her. He
had come upon this household in the
night with a request to be driven many
miles through n snow-stoFm. and, far
from causing surprise, the request had
been received as something quite ordi-
nary Even JEFF, now that he had fin
ished smelling, retired to corner, and
sank with a bony thump TO the floor.
The cub hardly knew what to say. lie
tried TO tell Mrs. Kate how sorry he
really was to have to ask so much, but
she would have none of it. oh that's
all right she interposed; I'VE don't mind
the snow; We're used TO tt
While he was thinking what next 10
say, the good wife insisted that he
should have something to eat and drink
before starting out. He protested, half
heartedly, perhaps, but Mrs. Kate thrust
the protest aside, and in shor. time
she had made an excursion into an ad-
joining room, taken the youngster TO
bed. and returned with cup of tea and
some little sugar-cakes.
the muslin book. She stared first at the
cakes. then at the mother. and then at
the cub, and. sliding down from her
chair, came and leaned against his knee.
Her hand had all but closed upon the
cake he held out to her when Mrs. Kate
dashed all her hopes to earth NO,
Katie. she said. You mustn't have
one. They are not for little girls to eat
At night"
In her disappointment Katie leaned
harder and harder against the cub.
watching his every mouthful. The we'll
known excellence Of the cakes and the
presumption that all OF them were in
a fair way 10 be devOured soon combined
10 make the situation intolerable 70 her
II caused one involuntary outburst
With her finger to her lip and her head
cooked aside, she exclaimed from the
bottom of her heart. Amt they good2'
A noise At the doorway caused the re-
porter 20 turn Just then and he met the
longing. poignant gaze of TWO bright
eyes, those of the banished four-year-
old, who. while investigating the new
conner, had broken down at the crucial
moment. Before the reporter could eug-
gest offering him cake his mother had /
carried his position by storm end borne /
him, hawling Justify. back 70 his crib.
At this moment the lord OF the house 1
entered, attired as If for "A Polar expesil-
ton. Wen start II you're ready" he 4
said. pulling his cap-fiaps down about HE 4
ears Il won't promise how long il VIII I
take 10 get there You'd better put a 4
blanket on, that coat doesn't look very 4
thick.
The reporter declined the blanket. ard 4
IS Mrs Kate Was IN a remote part Of the i
house. svailed himself OF the opportunity I
70 ask the question that had long been /
asitating him. The farmers nrst reply
was a farqh- then ire .F---.~.-.