Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-04-23

place that very morning. Mr. Fisbee
had not known Of the decorations, and
as his eye fell upon them a faint look
Of pain passed over his brow. But the
girl exa mined the room with a dancing
eye, and there were both tears and
laughter In her heart
How beautifulr' she cried. How
beautiful She crossed the room and
Schofield, isn't it? The ribbons are
delightful 1 didn't know Ar. Hark-
less room was so pretty"
Ross looked out OF the window aru
laughed as he took her hand, which he
shook with long up and down motion,
but he was set at better ease by her
apparent Inconsistencies of the fact
that the decorations were for her. "Oh.
1t amt much, L reckon" he replied.
and continued to look out of the win
dow and laugh.
She went to the desk and removed
her gloves and laid her rain cloak over
chair near by. lis this Mr. Harkless'
chair?" she asked, and, Fisbee answer
ing that it was, she looked gravely at it
for moment, passed her hand gently
over the back of it and then, throwing
the rain cloak over another chair, said
cheerily:
do you know, think the first thing
for us to do will be to dust everything
very carefully2"
You remember, 1 was confident she
would know precisely where to begin"
was Fisbee's earnest whisper i'm the
willing ear of the long foreman. Not
an inStants indecision, was there?"
No, Stree" replied the other, and as
he went down to the prcssroom to hunt
for a feather duster which he thought
might be found there he collared Bud
Tipworthy, the devil, who, not admit.
ted to the conclave of his superiors.
was whistling on the rainy stairway.
You hustle and find that dustbrush
we used to have, Bud" said Parker.
And presently as they rummaged in
the hooks and crannies about the ma
chinery he melted to his small assist
ant. 1.-The paper is saved, Buddie-
saved by an angel in light brown. You
can tell il by the look of her."
"Geei' said Bud.
Mr.. Schofield had come, blushing, TO
join them. Say. Gale, did you notice
the color OF her eyes?'
"Yes. They're gray"
81 thought so. too, show day and at
Hedge Halloway's lecture But say,
Gale, they're kind of changeable. When
she come in upstairs with you and Els.
bee they We're jest as blue-near
matched the color of our ribbons"
"Gee!' repeated Mr.. Tipworthy.
When the editorial chamber had been
made so neat that it almost glowed,
though it could never be expected to
shine as did Fisbee and Caleb Parker
and Ross Schofield that morning, the
lady took her seat at the desk and
looked over the few items the gentle
men had already compiled for her Pc
rusal. Mr.. Parker explained many tech
nicalities peculiar to the Carlow Her
aid. translated some phrases Of the
printing room and enabled her to grasp
the amount OF matter needed to fill an
issue.
When Parker finished the three In
competents sat watching the little fig
ure with the expression OF hopeful and
trusting terriers. She knit her brow
for second, but she did not betray an
instant's indecision.
IL think we should have regular
market reports" she announced ear
nestly. 81 am sure Mr. Harkless would
approve. Don't you think he would 2"
She turned to Parker.
Market reports!" Mr.. Fisbee ex-
claimed. Il should never have thought
OF market reports, nor do / lima CINE
would either of my-my associates. A
woman to conceive the idea Of market
reports!''
The editor blushed. "Why, who
would, dear, II not woman or a spec
uiator, and I'm not a speculator. and
neither are you, and that's the reason
you didn't think of them. So, Mr..
Parker, as there is so much pressure.
and if you don't mind continuing to act
as reporter as well as compositor until
after tomorrow, and if it isn't too wet
you must have an umbrella-would 1t
be too much bother if you went around
to all the shops-stores, | mean-to all
the grocers and the butchers and the
leather place we passed, the tannery,
and If there's one of those places where
they bring cattle, would it be too much
to ask you to stop there-and at the
flour MILL If it isn't too far, and at the
dry goods store-and you must take a
blank book and sharpened pencil, and
will you prlce everything, please, and
1ot down how much things areP
Orders received, the impetuous Par
ker was departing on the instant when
she stopped him with a little cry, but
you haven't any umbrellar' And she
forced her own, q slender wand. upon
him. 1t bore a cunningly wrought
handle. and its fabric was Of glisten-
ing silk. The foreman, unable to de-
cline it, thanked her awkwardly, and
as she turned to speak to Fisbee he
bolted out OF the door and ran down
the steps without unfolding the um-
brella, and then as he made for Mr..
Martins emporium he buttoned II Sc
cureiy under his long Prince Albert
determined that not n drop of water
should touch and ruin so delicate
thing Thus he carried If triuDnnho,,+