The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-13
FORTUNE'S,AssIsTANT.
BY JULIA TaUIrr BISHOP.

fcopyrirht. 1904, by Daily Story Pup. co'
 The mail had just come up the chute. .,a ns,.. p.xter. the proofreader. had found ar onntnous long envelope containing ono of her own stories with printeo sp hrestbtnr the peffunctory regrets or .a,tor of The Mirror. The four ociock ea'- .,on was just out and Miss Dexter was thrusting . hatpin with stao thiousn ".. walking hat. when Briggs, the solemn oio white -mustache who presided over n. dssk on the first floor. came up with 2 conv of the paper damp from the press. ana spread it before her grimly.
 "tJere it is-the same old story" he saii "A mistake of only a million dollars in the sssets in this bank statement. We've been working for months to get this ad.-and now they've sent word that if this Is the way we do business they don't care to have any transactions with us.
 Tears arose in Miss Dexter's eyes, but she hastily turned the soft brim of her hat down over her face because tears were dis tinctly out of place in a newspaper office
 .T. am so sorry!' she murmured miser- ably. T. see 1t was altogether my fault. But the white mustache has been raised in the old school and was at once immense- ly sorry for her.
 Nothing of the kind.' he said, heartily; .it isn't your fault--it's the fault of those blacksmiths of printers upstairs--and I'm going to tell them so--incompetent rascals! The very next time they rnakee such a mis- take as that. the man that does 1t has got the ad. to pay for. If this was my, office. a man who would do such a piece of work leave out a whole million, when 1t was his business to see 1t and put it in-would have to walk out--thats what he would. I won der what they think they're hired for? To blame all their carelessness on the proof reader! We'll. think not!'
 And Briggs went upstairs fuming to deal with the blacksmiths according to his fancy. and Miss Dexter sobbed little and rubbed her eyes great deal before she ventured downstairs and out into the street. She prayed as she went that she might not meet any of the force. Perhaps 1t was part of the run of bad luck which had filled the day to overflowing that she should come face to face with little Bobby Powers, the young police court reporter-he Of the smooth cheek and ready grin.
 "HeIlo!' said Powers, with as much sur prise as was consistent with his having walked up and down that block for half an hour. waiting for her to make her appear ance. You coming this way? How lucky! I'll walk with you. Say-theres a smudge on your face--the left side. It must be pen- cil I think-though that office is so beast- ly dirty. There!s It's off-yes 1t is-give you my wordF'
 Miss Dexter stared straight ahead. Surely. the fates must have something against her.
 Here. let me carry your bundles" said Bobby taking possession of them. Whats all this? didn't know you had to take work home with you"
 ..These are some of the. children's let ters that are to run in the children's page next Sunday" she said. resignedly. T take them home and work over them at night trying to lick them into shape" He opened the top letter and glanced over 1t with interest, as they walked along the shady side of the way.
 "Dear Auntie:--As have nothing else to do, I thought would write to you" he read. My word! such a complimentary reason for writing. I've often wished I could say that when had duty letters to write. And what's that other? A letter? Somebody must take all day for it."
 That's one of my stories back" she said. with a renewed stipging in her eyes T do nothing but get them hack lately. That Is from The Mirror. surely thought The Mirror would take that story-I had the money almost spent, and it would have helped me so much-and now 1t has come Dackr'
 Bobby's smooth cheeks flushed as he look ed at the long envelope. and his eyes wan dered from it. to her. She had grown pale with merely talking of it.
 
 up," he said. with boyish directness. You work all day in that office. and take home a lot O rot to work over at night and write stories between times. and you're looking awful. Miss Edith-honest. you are-and if you don't stop 1t you're going to kill your self, that's what you are. Why don't you let up a little, Miss Edith?"
 You talk as though I were a millionaire, Bobby" she said. There is no such thing as let up I've got to keep trying-its all can do."
 Why don't you marry some fellow and let him take care of you?" blurted out Bobby. with the ardor of juvenescence.
 Miss Dexter laughed. It had been some time since she had laughed. Perhaps she bIushed little. too for Bobby noticed that the cheek toward him was redder than it had been. Then she saddened. and said wistfully:
 There are not SO many of them. Bob by-and if there should be one, by any chance. hope he will not ask the privilege of taking care of right now. Because have the blues Bobby-the genuine, old fashioned blues-and I halfway believe, when have the blnes. that I will never be able to make a living for myself, and if some one asked me then. even if I loved him very much. might say yes, and then would be afraid all the rest of my life