Rock Island Argus., 1904-01-30
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Reporters Story
[Original.1


power to do lots of good or lots OF
harm"
What d'yOu mean:'' asked one Of
the party.
"Oh. there are millions of ways.
What | have in my mind just now is
suddenly thrustine some one into
prominence. When l was looking
after the social lions l made Il deal
with an Impoverished swell to give me
spicy bits about them. He had the en-
tree. and | hadn't. Well. one day ne
told me that Lord Martingale. fresh
importation from London, had said
that certain Mrs. Ringletter he had
seen i'll Central park beat anything for
beauty they had in England. Here's
Il CO. | said TO my infOrmer. L know
Mrs. Ringletter. III just run that
item in the social tidbits next Sunday.
and she'll he tickled 10 death
Sure enough, the next Sunday
morning | cooked up a beautiful an
nouncement of the fact that we had
prettier woman i'll New York than
they had in London and no less a
critic than Lord Martingale had said
So A few days later | met Guy Ring
letter, and he told he his wife had
suddenly stumbled OH To the item and
it had pleased her immensely.
That's all L thought about the mat
ter. You know we fellows cant keep
our minds OH one subject very long.
One evening | dropped into the Metro
politan Opera House to jot down who
was there, when heard two swells
Of = Al-a
with Il decidedly English accent.
Can you tell me who that woman
is i'll the first box from the stage in the
second tier:' he was saying.
"'ThatS young Mrs. Mickelt0n, re-
Gently married. Why do you ask
because she is the most beautiful
woman l ever saw. We've nothing
like her in London
You don't mean it
well. / skinned around and found
out who the fellows were and learned
that one of them was Lord MaTtingale-
Now. you may suppose that L remem-
bered what he'd said about my friend,
Mrs. Ringletter, but l had clean forgot
ten it, Back | went TO the office and
wrote ont that Lord Martingale had
remarked at the opera that Young Mrs.
Mickelton was the most beautiful wom
an in New York and there was nothing
like her in London.
"A bout a week after that was stroll
ing along upper Broadway. l had just
lighted a cigar and was feeling very
comfortable. Truth is had $40 in my
pocket. something that hadn't occurred
before since | entered journalism, and
| was wishing some one would come
along that / could blow off, | felt 4
touch on my arm and. turning, saw Il
scedy individual looking out OF Il pair
of the most melancholy eyes l ever
saw. | was about to give him Il nickel
when | stood stock still with aStoniSh-
ment.
Guy Ringletter. can this be YOU?
Yes he said mournfully.
What's the matterP
GIVE been ruined
"'COme in here and tell me about it
II led him into a cafe. We sat down
at one of the tables, and l called for
lunch and something with which to
wash it down. Now l said. let's
hear it
DO You remember nearly a year
stating that Lord SMartingale had said
that my wife was the most beautiful
woman in New York;
Slowly the matter got back into my
brain
Yes l said. 4 think I remember
something like that
"'Well when you published that item
I was fairly prosperous. | was doing
good business and making money.
Bnt from the appearance of your state
ment | saw change in Lucy. One
day she told me that now we were do
ing so we'll we ought to go out more.
and | soon learned that she meant we
were 10 begin Il systematic climbing to
get into the Four Hundred set / did
what | could To disSuadc her. but it
was no Use. The queen of society bee
had got into her bonnet; Lord Martin
gale had said that she was the most
beautiful woman in New York and by
the spending of some money she could
easily enter the elect set and with such
q recommendation at once become a
leader.
THE most fashionable dressmaker
was hired for her clothes. and the prin-
Nipdl JENtlCI VI lut Clla iui lhC
gems. We gave two entertainments and
got in five swells in all. They We're
young men of fashion who live by their |
wits and We're glad 10 get full on my |
gne. Several women who |
claimed TO be in the smart set were at
our soirees. but we found out after |
ward that they were impOstors.
Meanwhile the bills began TO come |
in. and / found the work of setting my |
wife mp ia professional beauty was n /
terrible expense. You see. | couldn't |
attend TO my business and keep track |
Df the expenses at home. l left every |
thing of that nature to Lucy. who was |
so anxious to succeed in her undertak |
ing that sue took no account of money |
that stood between her and Il position |
in keeping with that cursed lords opin- |
ion.