Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-08-25
Their Fresh Start
important News From GOvers Flats
Rv r. r. RACLEY
BY r. r. 6AclEY

o. ife." says ST Budlong to Elmer Har
riott. as they met at the post Office.
4Taas, replied Elmer, rehectiyely
as he shifted his cud to the other
cheek Know the circumstancesT
why, no; cant says do. Cart
right was teIlin' me they was WON
an Ia IT,
WAL, as to that. it was yes and no
You see, that young editor, Ridley
just ont q college, didn't ealcerlate
they vas anything that was with
KNOWN 10 the journalistic line that ne
didn't hev cornered. He begun by
bein' independent in politics. Nov,
Bowdin county's voters ANT got any
yeller streak o. independence IN EN-
its straight dimmycrat or Republi-
can for all males over Fl, except them
that's In the insane asylum or the
cemetery. SO the Clarion's subscrip-
tfon list didn't grow so everlasttn'
swift an the adyertisin' patronage
kinder dwindled
paper and ink bills were put In an
attorneys hands fur collection, an the
end was near Ridley was feelin' blue.
He had about made up his mind to
quit the independence racket Last
Wednesday mornin' he was actually
writin up leader shown the newt
abul trend O public sentiment. an pro-
posin' Judge Holcomb, of Cedaryille,
as runnin' mate for Bryan, when in
comes a black-eyed young woman to
Ia a,,f oh TYtu11pE'p a wet
hen. She flashes a copy of the preyi-
Gus weeks Clarion in front o Ridley
an SEE, in a voice quaverin' with emo
shun-'Read that
Ridley was gettin' used to demon
startions of this sort, so he didn't
show no particler feelin' as he noted a.
marked item in the letter from Gloy-
er's Flats:
Reported, tibet Eb Harder and
Fanny Brice are again on speakin
terms. That's right, youngsters; kiss,
an make up
Ibid you write that asks the
lady.
Personally. not guilty. says Rid
ley.
Its scandalous,' says she, that
you newspaper men don't hold nothin
sacred What do you mean by haunt-
in the private affairs of the respect.
able citizens of Glover's Flats before
the whole word? | haven't spoken
to Ebenezer Harder for six months
and unless he-eXplains-I shall never
speak to him again, But how did you
what will he Think And with that
she burst right out cryin'.'
Ridley started to apologize, but she
PUSHES out the door and slams it after
her. Then she comes back in an in
slant. scared to death, an she sort O.
stage whispers TO him, He's comm up
here. Put me somewhere, quick
Ridley pointed to closet an she
jumps in an pulls the door to.
an walks young man an says: IS
this Mr. Ridley
The same, says Ridley. Have
chair
Mr.. Ridley says he, sfttin' down
opposite an assumin a confidential
tone, my names Harder and live at
Gloyer's Flats. | amt been but two
years out o. Harvard, an it may be
I've got more money than brains, for
my gunner left me enough to live on
If don't do a stroke O. work the rest
o my days. But | won't farm it. Jour
nalism is my long suit, journalism.
worked two years on the Crimson and
I've reported for the city papers and
I've got the writin fever. I've been
watchin' the Clarion right along, an
you're all right, but you amt gettin
on. You've got to quit independence.
l kin see you've got dimmycratic lean
ings. an it's easy to flop. Do that an
We'll win, / say we because you're
goin' to take me in as a workiu part
ner I'll pay the bills tomorrow an
wen start her off on a new track.
kin git into the kind O. work love an
Wen have her up to 5000 a week in
years time. Is it a go?'
"They was a haze in front O. Rid
Iey's eyes an he didn't say nothin' for
spell. Then they just clasped hands
across the table an looked at each
other hard.
after pause Ridley says, in a low
tone: Harder you're an angel. How
about the girl?'
1.-The girl" says Harder, surprised.
What girl? Oh, yes he continues.
There's a gir4 I'll confde. This is
all for her. Six months ago after she
had been naggin' me to go an do
somethin' and be somebody, she says,
"Have Won the maxim of a real man in
you, anyway" yes, l have" l says,
but If that's the way you feel about it
! the less we see of each other the bet
ter for both of us" An I've kept out
of her sight from that day to this. But
she's there vet, an know she's true
blue, an if the Clarion wins
Ridley had his eye on the closet
| door.
six months without a words rath.