Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-02-26
DAILY SHORT STORY
THE LITTLE REPORTER.

TIE Willie car were W uidiNh ~ AA~
palace to present a monster petition
In the Office of the Fatherland the
managing editor sat alone. The night
force had not yet reported for work
A footstep was heard climbing the
stairs. and presently a boy not more
than fourteen years old came into the
Office
Are you the editor:" he asked.
Yes, sonny. What can 1 do for
you:'
Il thought that since there's to be
trouble tomorrow you might need extra
help"
You think that you'd like to march
at the head of the petitioners and re-
ceive the first fire of the troops?"
1.-The Little Father will not let his
soldiers fire on his people,"
Sonny, the people are deceived. This
time tomorrow our streets will be
drenched with blood"
''Well, my mother needs food, and l
must make it for her any way 1 can.
Shall / march with the petitioners to-
morrow and send you copy"
You have worked in a newspaper of
flee before"
YES"
Come around in the morning. and l
may find work for you to do in the Of
fee"
The next day the name Ivan Ivano-
vich was entered on the rolls of the
Fatherland. 1t was Sunday morning,
and the excitement in the office was
intense. The managing editor was in
no good humor Every reporter on the
paper had sent in some excuse for not
appearing for service. Little Ivan,
while carrying copy upstairs to the
composing room, passing the sanctum
heard his chief threatening'to discharge
every mothers son of them The boy
went in
why can't / go out to report the
march of the petitioners? 2" he,asked.
Get out of here.' snarled the editor
"Am L reduced to sending children out
on assignments"
The boy went on his way. and the
editor went on growing att his re-
porters.
An hour later the children@of the
Little Father commenced their
march. With priest as their Header
without the slightest show Of force
Ike flock of sheep, they wereA going
as humble suppliants. Walking in the
thrOng was Ivan Ivanovich. He had
taken pencil and paper and, leaving
the office without permission. hurried
away to fill the gap left open by the
nonappearance of the reporters. On
marched the people, unopposcd for
time, but presently a row Of bristling
bayonets appeared in the distance, and
TONERS to halt.
I'VE are going to see the Little Fa-
Their" to tell him of our wrongs. He
doesn't know how his subordinGtes
treat us. We are going to tell him."
The people, consisting of men, wom-
en- and children, kept right on in the
face of death. The little reporter, who
had fallen behind while writing his re-
port of the march. saw q boy about his
own age running toward the rear. Ivan
called to him and asked where he was
going.
I'm going to get outlof this. The
troops will fire with ball cartridges"
Hold on a bit" said Ivan, and he
wrote a few more words. There it
is" he added, with ball and car
tridges.' Since you are going. please
take that to the office off the Father
land
The boy grasped the message and
sped away. Ivan craanmed his pad and
pencil in his pocketand pushed through
the crowd to the front. Just as he
wriggled between those facing the
troops there was ~ sounds of many ex-
plosions, and Il moment laEter the crowd
where the boy stood looked like the
edge of a field of grass over which the
first sweep of Il S:ythe had passed.
Half an hour Eater n surgeon took
hold of the linn. figure of boy and,
holding him up, asked:
Are you hurt?s
Eyes, am. 1 fear shall not be able
to get my copy in to the Office.
haven't even WRITTEN it OUT
"Never mind your copy. If 1 can
save YOU
"You can't, and since you, can't you
might save my copy for me-"
The surgeon locked at the boy in
amazement.
I've sent an account of tine march
and had just come,up in time to be In
at the firing. Pve'written some notes
for them to fill in at the office If I can
only get them there. Can't you find a
for me, doctor?"
Meanwhile the.managing editor of the
Fatherland had picked up hearsay re-
ports as the petitioners began to march
and was sending them through the
presses. A boy came in and laid a pa
per on his desk.
whats this?" he asked.
Ivan said it was copy" And hestold
how it had been given him by the
young reporter. The editor listened
then sent the copy upstairs,
with the order to "kill' what had gone
Before Later a man came in with an
other batch of copy, or, rather, blood
stained notes, on the firing on the peo-
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