The Prescott daily news., 1907-07-18

v IL. $16.' Then he would break of with impatience at himself and murmur: Whats the use? There's probably A fellow in New York, anyway" Tear. ing the paper into a hundred pieces he would call up some friend on the wire for talk
 The fourth week of the golden vaca. tion was slipping by when there was q call for Miss Barclay over the long, distance phone. It was from the man. aging editor uf the Planet. and he lost little time in preliminaries.
 Hello, hello! That you, Miss Bar clay?" began Bolton. You know who l am? Yes. Enjoyed your vacation? Glad to hear 1t. Now there's some thing l want you to do down there be- fore you come back to work. There's strike threatening on the New York < Western. l got the tip straight, but l don't dare use it from here Who? The telegraph operators. They want raise all along the line, and 40 other things. The road isn't disposed to grant 'em half the demands, and it looks as If the whole system would be tied up by walk-out.
 How do you figure in it? We'll, you see the chairman of the telegraphers' executive committee and get the whole story out of him; he's right at Lake Leven. Names Carleton do you know him? Oh, you do; good Well, pump him, and don't put him next to your business. Both sides intend to fight this thing out on the quiet, unless the strikes actually declared. He'll prob ably lose his job for talking"
 But I cant make him talk" inter- rupted Ruth
 "Can't-how do you know you cant? It'll take some diplomacy, for he's sharp fellow; but I think you can man. age it. If he wins his point without a strike, the roads going to give him an assistant superintendency; if he doesn't out he goes. They figure, If he's good enough to beat them, he's good enough to beat some other road for business"
 But, but-is it necessary to give his name in the story? Can't I get it and hold him safe?"
 Well, I'd be sorry to lose him a job; but that's not our lookout. Write 1t up as coming simply from one of the men; he'll have to run chances on be- ing found out afterwards
 Im-Im afraid I cant get it for you; can't you send someone else down here?" Ruth was making last despairing effort to avoid the dilemma before her
 Miss Barclay"-and there was a note in his voice she had not heard before-"this is up to you. There are dozens of more difficult stories ahead of you. If you cant get them. there are others who can" Pausing mo- ment to give the threat of dismissal it's full weight he continued more lightly: But I know it's all right. Put the ginger into it. Don't use the wire; there's no rush. as the crisis is some days off yet, believe. Stick special delivery stamp on the story, and mail it to me. You understand? Make good lively reading out of it- and say get Carleton's picture. Good by"
 Ruth walked homeward, sorely pug zled. Regard for Carleton and news paper instinct, the nose for news" were at war What should she do- pump Carleton, use the story, and take the chances of his discovery and dis missal. or warn him to be careful, re- sign her place and hunt another among the rivals of the Planet? Both courses were distasteful-the first, be- cause of her friendship for Johnny the last, because of loyalty to the paper which she had served faithfully for three years.
 The habit of obedience to others. and the newspaper instinct that sensed good copy drove her-even while she hated herself--to draw Carleton out that afternoon, while they were alone together at her home. Ruth and the impending strike shared all his waking thoughts. It was not hard to lead the conversation to strikes in general and railroad strikes in partic- ular Then Ruth saw him hesitate. It was only for breath; confidence in her overcame natural caution, and he told all--of the twelve hundred oper- ators waiting only on his word to walk out; of the railroads crafty attempts to outwit him and his own anxious ef- forts to meet move with move on the chessboard of diplomacy. We didn't ask much" he concluded. while her brain, seizing upon the facts and fig