Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-01-04
A BLUFF

Raymond Springer was well named.
lie was a sprightly young fellow, who
did not propose TO wait for affairs to
take their natural course. lie did pro
pose to be up and doing. with n view
TO forcing circumstances to turn in his
| favor. RaymOnd's best girl was one
! of the same kind. She had taught
| school long enough to save a thousand
dollars, and Raymond who had risen
| from typesetter to reporter-if that is
to be considered rise-had as much
more. They had many a sitting with
their heads together" and sometimes
their lips, trying to figure out Il plan
to better themselves by using their cap
ital jointly. They finally decided to he
married, 30 west and start paper.
The result of this unon-of capital
was the Annunciator, lively newspa-
per, in the town of Tuckerton, Il grow
ing place where there was but one 9th
er paper. the Wasp, owned by man
by the name of Snarley. 1t never
stung any one. Indeed it better de
served the name of Drone, though the
manager was as sour as a vinegar
cruet
Springer and his wife started in to
compete with thiS drowsy sheet. Their
paper was bound to distance the other
in time, but II requires time and eX-
penditure to start a paper, and the
! question of ultimate success hung OH
whether the funds would hold out.
The Springers used every economy, the
editor setting much of his type himself
and breaking his wife in to do the
same. New subscribers came steadily.
Every one praised the sprightliness of
the paper, and there were a few ad-
vertsements offered, though these
must be accepted for little or nothing
| because Snarley on the starting of the
Annunciator had put his own prices to
point which was sure to kill competi-
ton and the rival paper.
/ Every one knows who knows any
! thing about the newspaper business
that it is the advertisements that pay
The Springers had everything else de-
/ sirable for newspaper. They were
both good writer's and Mrs. Springer
introduced features that were especi-
! ally captivating to women. But the
/ cost of material, notwithstanding their
own-and incidentals was an outgoing
| stream that was not sufficiently coun-
teracted by the inflow. Consequently
the pool was slowly drying up. Snar-
ley kept himself posted as to the finan-
cial condition of the Annunciator by
/ learning how long people found 1t
necessary to wait for the payment of
their bills. And as that time increased
the sour expression on his face turned
into a smile that childreA were Il raid of.
Then Snarey heard that his compel
itors were trying to get In some capital.
His paper Immediately began to pour
forth walls as to the unsatisfactory
condition of business generally and the
newspaper business in particular. In
this way he headed off the Springers,
who had very nearly secured what
they required to set their paper on its
feet and tide it over the shoals between
them and success. But now they were
checkmated. Their money was all
gone, and if they continued the bust
ness they would be swamped
They held parley and decided to
3 u
morning after this decision an item
In an inconspicuous part of the edi-
torial page gave a hint that there was
a possibility Of new blood being in
fused into the veins of the Annunci-
ator. A few days later another brief
item-the first in the column-stated
that negotiations for new capital were
in progress with great hopes OF sue
cess. If contract was made the An
nunciator would appear in new dress
and add two more pages. Snarley
read these announcements and was
troubled He poked his nose every
where to smell out where the new cap
ital was to come from, but failed to
find any trace Of it.
One morning the Annunciator an
nounced that the financial suspense
that had lowered over the paper so
long like buzzard over dying lion
was ended The future of the paper
was no longer problematical. Nor was
1t. The end was at hand.
At 10 o'clock Allan Lake, a nephew
of Snarley. entered Springer's office
and asked If the negotiations had gone
so far as to prevent plan to amalga-
mate the Wasp and the Annunciator
II not his uncle would turn over his in
terest to him, put in new capital and the
united papers would be run by Spring
err and Lake Jointly. Springer said the
papers would not pass till - m. and
till then he would consider PROPOSE
ton. whcreupon Lake pulled writ
ten proposition from his pocket. which
was accepted after consideration, and
the Wasp and the Annunciator became
one.
The night before Springer and his
wife had been up till dawn getting out
what they supposed to be the last issue
OF the paper. They had intended it for
a bluff to give their enemy a scare,