Courier Democrat., 1904-08-11

eating before the arrival %: Il Eoc. u;
blackbirds Fastening thitile,' ere TIE
eyentide should be upon them The
blackbirls came. clatl2red. .ynSSipeG.
quarreletl aud beat each other with
their wings above the smoker sitting
on the top fence rail.
But he had remembered. \ thousand
miles to the east it was commencement
day, seven years to day from his
own commencement.
Five years ago, on another June aft
ernoon, young man from the east had
alishted on the platform of the station
north of Plattville and. entering the
rickety omnibus that fingered there
seeking whom it might rattle to deaf
ness, demanded to be driven to the
Herald building. 1t did not strike the
driver that the newcomer was pre-
ciscly gay young man when he climb
ed into the omnibus. but an hour later,
as lie stood in the doorway Ut the edi-
fee he had indicated as his destination.
depression seemed to have settled into
Iuc uluETOW Ol las Uo11SS.
Plattville was instantly alert to the
strangers presence, and interesting con-
lectures were hazarded all day long at
the back door Of Martins Dry Goods
Emporium this was the club during
the day.. and at supper the new ar
rival and his probable purposes were
discussed over every table in the town.
Upon inquiry he had informed Judd
Bennett, the driver of the omnibus,
that he had come to stay. Naturally
such declaration caused sensation,
as people did not come to Plattville to
live except through the inadvertency of
being born there In addition the young
mans appearance and attire were re-
ported to he extraordinary. Many of
the curious, among them most of the
marriageable females Of the place, took
occasion to pass and repass the sign of
the Carlow County Herald during the
evening.
Meanwhile the stranger was seated
In the dingy Office upstairs with his
head bowed low on his arms Twilight
stole through the dirty window panes
and faded into darkness. Night filled
the room. He did not move. The young
man from the east had bought the Her
aid from an agent-had bought it with
out ever having been within hundred
miles of Plattville. The Herald was
an alleged weekly which had some
times appeared within five days of its
declared date Of publication and some
times missed fire altogether. 1t was a
thorn in the side Of every patriot Of
Carlow county, and Carlow people. aft
er supporting the paper Loyalty and
long, had at last given it up and sub
scribed for the Gazette, published in
the neighboring county of Amo. The
former proprietor Of the Herald. a
surreptitious gentleman with soatee.
had taken the precaution Of leaving
Plattville forever on the afternoon pre-
ceding his successors arrival. The
young man from the east had vastly
overpaid for his purchase. Moreover.
the price he had paid for it was all the
money be had in the world.
The next morning he went bitterly to
work. He hired compositor from
Rouen, young man named Parker,
! who set type all night long and helped
him pursue advertisements al. day.
The citizens shook their heads pessi-
mistically. They Lad about given UP
the idea that the Herald could ever
amount to anything. and they betrayed
an innocent but caustic doubt of abil-
ity in any stranger.
: One day the new editor left note on
his door: "Will return in fifteen min
utes."
Mr.. Rodney McCune, politician from
the neighboring county Of Gaines. hap
pening to be in Plattville on an errand
to his henchmen. found the note and
wrote beneath the message the scath-
ing inquiry, "Why:"
When he discovered this addendum,
the editor smiled for the first time since
his advent and reported the incident in
his next issue, using the rubric why
Has the Herald Returned to Life? as
text for rousing editorial on hon
esty in politics, subject Of which he
already knew something. The political
district to which Carlow belonged was
governed by limited number of gen.
| tlcmen whose wealth was ever on the
increase. and honesty in politics was
startling conception to the minds OF
the passive and resigned voters. who
talked the editorial over on the street
corners and in the stores. The next
week there was another editorial per-
sonal and local in its application. and
thereby it became evident that the new
proprietor Of the Herald was theorist
who believed in general that politi-
clans honor should not be merely of
that middling healthy species known
as "honor among politicians and in
particular that Rodney McCune should
not receive the nomination of his party
for congress. Now, Mr. McCune was
the undoubted dictator Of the district.
and his followers laughed at the straH-
gers fantastic onset; but the editor was
not content with the word Of print. He
hired horse and rode about the coun-
try and Ito his own surprise) proved to
be an adaptable young man who en-
joyed exercise with pitchfork to the