The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-06-17

why they don't wear coats when there
is lady present For how can she
Know that shirt sleeves in a news
paper office are the outward and visible
signs of an unwritten rule of as long
standing as that requiring a man re-
! hearsing a play to wear a derby hat
over one eye and chew at a big. black
cigar?
! Maybe a trim, shrewd appearing
woman will pass through, give her a
supercilious look and lay heap OF
paper on the editorial desk Possibly a
messenger will rush in to tell of a
fierce" fire and three people in dam
ger And she will be Mortified to hear
the men shouting "Good!" what
box?" and why didn't the alarm come
in?' as they climb into their coats and
/ dash away.
Apparently she has been kept wait
ing to no purpose. But everything has
! a purpose in newspaper office. Old
stagers call it the ordeal by waiting"
All that self-confidence with which
she came into the building has evap-
GRATED by now. The ribbon-tied essay,
meant to impress the editor looks
childishly out OF place, and she tucks
it up her sleeve or into her muff and
PRODUCTION. She had planned out half
a column of reasons why she wished to
take up journalism. After the uncon-
cerned way men whose names she had
heard have come in to lay their con-
tributions on the desk these seem too
pompous. and she begins thinking of
more practical ones.
"And now Miss-er-what can / do
for your
THE ORDEAL AT THE DESK.
1t is the "old man" of the newspaper,
who isn't old at all. but just a smooth
faced young fellow with broad shout
ders and 81 twinkling eye-but what a
stern rock-chise.ed mouth! Strong men
know that mouth and fear it.
The young woman gives it a helpless
glance and hesitates. Usually when the
opposite sex looks on her it smiles. but
this parsonage sees il her only prob
able nuisance.
why, why, have-that isl
brought down a letter of introduction
to you from Gen. So and So
THAT is very-er-kind"
Is he laughing at her?
"Oh. you see I would like to do news
paper work" in confusion which dyes
her cheeks carmine and ELECTS a look
of interest even from the editor.
Besides, she has accidentally scored
He expected her to use that hated word
Journalism" which is like a red rag
to a bull among regulars of the pro-
fession, and her accidental failure to
do so has pleased him. Then comes 1.-The
ordeal by questions"
When she gets through she is limp
and scared. After it comes the period
of suspense broken finally by the "old
man" saying II am sorry" and mean
ing she has not stood the tests or else
telling her in kindly tone. well, come
down tomorrow and we will see what
you can do"
THEN CONFETTI THE THRILLl
Oh the thrill of it, Now she knows
why some of the brightest men of the
ages have wanted to write The office
boy seems to regard her with a new
changes to splendid harmonies the
dream of her life is about to come true
has already begun to come truei
She murmurs vague, incoherent ex-
preston of thanks, which pleases the
editor again, for he recognizes the
signs of that nervous temperament
ever characterizing the one of talent,
md then she gropes her way like
drunk with delight back tc
he gloomy drizzling world of reality.
But lit isn't raining rain to her; it's
aiming roses down.
CAROLYN CROSS.