The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-01-26
By
JOHN l.. MATHEWS.
By

on, you'd better go out and get room
somewhere and look in again"
Room? In New Orleans in carni-
val? I'm not SO rich, MIR Duncan.
No, sir! III just step down to the
levee and engage a berth on one of the
excursion boats for the night and leave
my grip. III be back"
Long after he was gone the city
editor leaned back in his chair and
stared at the door out of which the
slender figure had vanished. In his
ears still sounded the cheerful voice,
and he caught himself repeating, THE
best two years Of his life"
| With a newspaper mans quick in
stinct for the pathetic, for the humor-
GUS, for the human interest" in a
| tain citation which he was accustomed
to experience only when he had found
some story" that would stir the laugh
ter or bring the tears of his readers.
And indeed it was such story he
had found. For had not his visitor
been a man condemned to die. man
with but two short years of life ahead
of him, who yet had cheerfully accept
ed his late and determined to make
those two years successful and worth
while?
All, we'll, here it was seven o'clock
and the men would be coming back
soon, and nothing done. Go to work,
Duncan" he said to himself. you've
got forty years and you can't make up
your mind to make any one or all Of
them especially good"
A moment later he called one of his
copy readers.
Here, Newman" he said, 'Ill have
to help out on copy, l guess. You
take a run up to the Harmony club. l
haven't man near there, and there'll
be something special when the parade
gets to the turn"
He entered the assignment and
breathed a sigh of relief. There was
one less to look after. Now if nothing
happened-well, he would get through
somehow.
at his desk, and did not hear the door
open. He seldom did, for that matter.
In a newspaper Office one hears only
what concerns oneself Half a dozen
reporters were busily clicking their
typewriters, a single copy-reader was
with a mass of copy at the
table, and Mr.. Duncan himself was
literally "swamped" in the mass OF
telegraph "flimsy" and local items
which covered his desk There was a
quick step on the floor, and Mr.. Will
bur Henry Thompson of Leake stood |
beside him.
Goodness gracious, Mr.. Duncan: |
and you said there was no work for |
me! Give me some Of that copy and
let me help you out. I'm one of the |
best copy-readers you ever saw"
He waited for no consent, but picking
up a handful Of typewriter paper,
the newcomer walked hastily to the
table. while couple of reporters turn
ed ard stared at him and the city edi-
tor fairly gasped.
Il say" Thompson demanded of the
copy-reader, what are the
heads? Got a style sheet? Thanks!
Oh, these are easy
Duncan had risen to his feet, and
now walking to the table, he looked
over the young mans shoulder. With
rapidity which was novelty in the
Office, Thompson's pencil was flying
along the lines, correcting spelling,
paragraphing, now and
hen deity inserting a subhead, now
out line or a sentence. In
he eyes Of newspaper man it was
indeed beautiful work and the city edi-
or watched it moment, and then de-
.ided not to interfere.
After moment Thompson looked
Up, cast his eyes about for the basket
n which to file his copy, saw a hook
instead. called "Copy-boy!" loudly,
md "spindled" story. The boy took
t to the city editor. who hardly
glanced at it.
All right" he said, and the copy
vas taken to the composing-room.
rhe best two years had begun.
you know" said Duncan, at mid
light, II can't pay you anything when
have another man to send. If get
tuck I can pay you space once in
While, but If you do any other work l
ant pay you"
That's all right" declared Thomp-
on. Don't want pay till prove N.Y.
elf. What l want is work. Two