The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-17
TIE EVENING STORY
when tho Editor ssPuYed. .
IBy Donald AIlen.l

There was just one reason why the
Widow Bidwen refused the matrimonial
offer rendered her by Editor Flint. Of
the Weekly Clarion and Fergus COun-
~ Advertiser. Editor Flint had owned
and edited the Clarion for many years.
He had never married, because he hau
been too busy making-up and working
on his edition of 500 copies, getting up
ana printing auction bills, writing
thrilling local notices of wood wanted
on subscription and other matters con-
nected with a weekly journal Of %
years ago. Some of his esteemed con-
tempoFartes sneeringly remarked now
and then that he stole his editorials,
an auction bill they yielded him the
palm.
"Auctionl Auctionl Auction!" read
the average bill. Take notice that on
the 14th Of September George Styles,
farmer, will sell at public vendue all
the live stock and other personal pro-
perty on his farm on the Red Bridge
road. Said stock consists Of horses.
COWS, sheep and hogs, and about one
hundred hens and geese. Sale to begin
at 10 a. m, and all Will go to the
highest bidder"
There was no doubt about the success
Of the Clarion as a newspaper, nor
about the success of Editor Flint as
an editor. When he finally made up
his mind to marry the Widow BidWel
there was no doubt that he would be
a SACNSSS DIS q DGnCQlCL. ne Struck q
snag, however. The widow had been
obliged to turn to dressmaking since
her husbands death, and she did not
rank with the four hundred of the vii
lage, but she was lover Of poetry ana
she had dreams Of poets. While this
kept her grocery bill down, it inter-
fered considerably with her getting out
orders on time. and she calculated that
one about offset the other.
The poetry-loving widow had had
fifty different poetic illusions publish
ed in the Clarion over the nom de
plume of "F1ossie," but Mr.. Flint had
received the copy with a grunt. and
the public had recovered from the
shock each time within twenty-four
hours.
The poems had been published to
save carrying dead advertising Mrs
BidWell was rather surprised when the
editor dropped in on her one evening
and proceeded to say that he wanted
her for the mistress of his house, but
she soon rallied and answered that
there was an insurmountable barrier
between them. He didn't look like a
poet. She knew what he could do in
the way OF an auction bill, but the man
who wed 'F'lossie'' must look the part.
She would attend to the poetry as
heretofore. but he must at least have
long hair, an aesthetic face and dreamy
eyes.
The editor say at once that he
couldn't fill the bill. He wore his hair
short, had fat face, and his eyes were
on the lookout for delinquent sub
scribers instead of looking into the far
away. He therefore picked up his hat
and walked back to the Office.
However, the iron had entered Mr..
Flint's soul. He had laid his 40-year-
old heart at woman's feet and she
had spurned it. He either wanted to
commit suicide or secure revenge, and
after figuring up that the Clarion plant
was worth about $4,000 he decided to
hang on to earth. The first installment
of his revenge was shown in his next
issue, when he said:
I'VE take pleasure in informing our
readers that a brother of the Widow
BidwelI, who writes beautiful verse IN
der the name of F1ossie,' has just died
and left her a fortune estimated at
800, 000- She has our heartiest congrat-
ulations."
OF course the public read the item.
and of course the widow read it. There
wasn't a word of truth in it, but when
people came and showered their con-
gratulations she couldn't bring herself
to deny the story. She was even thank
full to the Clarion for publishing the
canard. The issue of the following week
pursued the matter further.
I'VE understand it said that the
fortune left to the Widow BidweH by
go $4,000 better than at first reported.
There are reports af1Oat that she will
remove to New York city as soon as she
comes into possession and buy a resi-
dence on Fifth avenue. Her poem this
week is the best thing in the paper.
There were more congrat ulations, and
the widow got deeper into the tolls. It
was so nice to be patted on the back
and soft-soaped that she couldn't bring
herself to deny the reports.
Between the second and third issues
of the Clarion the editor had a caller.
His ostensible occupation was selling
Bohemian oats to farmers at five dol
lars a bushel and sailing mighty close
to prison as a swindler, but he had the
hair and face and eyes of a poet Even
the fat and healthy editor had to ad-
NIT that. The caller wanted to insert
a small ad. and ask about the Widow
Bidwell. He had seen the notices in
the Clarion about her legacy, and he
wanted a few pointers.
Editor Flint praised the woman who
had jumped on his bleeding heart
Aye, he spoke in highest terms of her,
and even told Mr.. Harold De Isle how
he could get an Introduction to her.
Then the third issue said:
I'VE had a pleasant call the other
day from Mr.. Harold De Lisle, who has
just made a million dollars out Of
he may remain in our village for some
DAVIS Indeed, Dame Rumor Is con-
meeting his name with that of a rich
and prominent widow on Chestnut
street
Mr.. De Lisle was duly introduced to
the Widow Bidwell. She had no sooner
set eyes on him than her heart began
to palpitate. The poet had come He
looked and dressed the part. He also
acted it. Nothing was said of her
dressmaking on the one hand nor of
his oat business on the other. They
talked of sonnets and poems and
idyls, and the widow was not in the
hotel dining room to note the guam
tity Of corned beef and cabbage he
got away with at dinner.
There was a fourth notice in the
Clarion. The spurned editor hadn't
much to do with auction bills just
then. and he had time to keep track of
affairs on Chestnut street. He had
been told that Mr.. Harold De Isle was
only a travelling agent for a gang of
eastern swind1ers. but he wasn't going
Il So 50 On the contrary. what he