Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1905-04-20
How a Scandal
Was Averted .
By w. NEWMAN FLOWER

MIR. JOSIAH WAGSTAFF made a
lv pretense of being something in
the city. This he did purely as hob
by, because he had realized large for
tune out of pork, but finding idle re-
tirement rather monotOnOus he began
to go to the city again with the earli-
est, and only reached home at night
when most people would have thought
of going to bed.
What his occupation consisted of no
one knew, not even his wife and fam
lily, and no one who knew Josiah
Wagstaff cared to ask.
Wagstaff was the autocrat of his own
home. When his brow appeared puck
cred the whole family trembled, and it
was very puckered just now, so that
Mrs. Wagstaff, the three Misses Wag-
staff, and Master Timothy, aged II, sat
mutely round the breakfast table at the
prospect of, a coming storm.
kitty" he began, lowering his cof-
fee cup into the middle of the saucer
with mathematical precision. Your
conduct has astonished and amazed me.
Last evening youth can call him
little else, although he's 25-called to
see me, and actually-yes, actually
asked for my permission to marry you.
"Of course, should have granted his
request could he have satisfied me as
to his prospects. He is one of those
writing chaps, and turns out novelties
in the same way as my machinery used
to turn out sausages.
but that is not the greatest trouble
which you have been the means of
bringing upon me. Not only do you fall
in love with supplemented idiot,
whose sole ambition is writing senti-
mental trash, but l actually find you
reading one of these driveling rags, the
publication of which any sensible gov
eminent would at once suspend.
II found this in the pocket of your
macintosh last evening. The name,
The Lovers Companion is very ap-
propriate, and, no doubt, your lover,
Herbert Grant, is a contributor to it,
"Yes. he is, and he makes So, 900 year
by writing, at any rate" replied Kitty,
doggedly.
well let him go on making it, but
you shall not add to the success of such
a journal by reading it. And, bear this
in mind, my girl; that if l catch you
reading such piffle again, l shall not
only stop your pocket-money, but take
very stringent measures to prevent
your reading anything but your Bible
and catechism in future. AS for this
Herbert Grant, the sooner you forget
all about him the better, for such a
union will never have my sanction"
The family began to breathe again.
But Timothy, the Wagstaffs' son and
heir. was up in arms at his sisters dis
cOmfiture.
q say, pater,' he said. tits bit
rough on sis, because when she wrote
to the editor for advice he told her to
stick to her lover through thick and
thin, and that her pater would knuckle
under if her chap was a really decent
young man. And Grants all that, I
can tell you. Why, saw him knock q
cad down yesterday because he made a
Joke about his height, and asked him II
it was cold up there"
"Timothy, leave the room!" said Mr..
Wagstaff, who had paled somewhat, In
a voice of thunder. when wish you
to be master here I'll say so. And now,
Kitty" he said when the lad had
closed the door behind him, Il ask
you if you. dared to drag the family
name into a paper like that by writing
to the editor"
Il had to take nom de plume, so
even the editor didn't know who was,'
confessed Kitty.
every we'll. will say no more about
it this time, but bear in mind my warn
ing. that's ALL"
And Just then Mr. Wagstaff discov-
cred that he had five minutes in which
to catch his train. So he hurried from
the room, much to the relief of his
assembled offspring.
The editor Of the Lovers Magazine
was tramping room like Gagged lion
when the sub-editor came in.
Il say. Bradlev,' he exclaimed, fall
ing into the editorial chair, this lack
of decent copy is becoming abominable.
We shall have to sNut Grub street for
lady writer's soon. and a pretty come
down that'll be wher 20 are supposed
to be the leading novelette, going"
Eyes, it's certainly a bad lookout"
replied the under chief, sympathetical-
". There's only one contributor we
can depend on, and that's Sweet and
Twenty I don't know whether it's
,n.n-or a uomon Rut TIA Sn!pNdi6