Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-24

OppODAbS BAA ~ IA |
There were certain appointed days
for these expositions, and this was
one Of them. So, with his coat on ana
his hair standing on end, a la porcu-
pine quilts, he was boning right down
to it, wishing he had, like Briareus, a
hundred hands to bring to the varied
duties of the hour, when the devil
came in with a handful of proof-slips,
and laid them on his desk.
This seemed to be the last straw
that broke the camel's back. One woe
was certainly treading upon an
others heels, SO fast they followed.
The city editor groaned, and followed
I'D the groan with that which despera-
ton alone excused soliloquy.
What in the thunder'-I am sorry
to be obliged to write 1t, but that
was what he said-"what in the thun-
der am | to do with this proof?'
Give it to me; l will read 1t"
came an unexpected answer from be
hind him"
The city editor jumped as if a bomb
had exploded in the rear OF him, and
suddenly turned around. What his
astonished eyes beheld was a young
woman sitting at the desk back of
his own. She wore a big black hat
with -four and twenty black BIRDS
more or less, standing on their heads,
with wings extended and tails in air,
upon either side its crown. He fur
Their noticed, for, like most men,
the city editor was great on details
of dress, that she had on a silk shirt
waist, ''of some kind or other" He
guessed at the wide skirt and tan
shoes below it.
you? Who are your" asked the
city editor, in extreme surprise, for
getting his manners, and s~crutinizing
her with a power of cool stare in his
eyes, equal to 4 brown stone fronts"
Yet, surprised as he was, he couldn't
help noting the absurdity of the small
young face framed in the ugly style
Of fashionably-parted hair, which
causes a maiden in her teens to ap-
pear as If, like Buddha, she might have
been 81 one times her ewn ancestor;
transforms the rosy curves of a We
nus into the severe lines of a Minerva
"I?" She gave a musical little
laugh, and her serious c~ountenance
relaxed. IT am a young woman in
search of something to live by You
were so busy when l came in, J
didn't like to disturb you with in
Quiries,"
"Humph!" calculated the city edit
or in that disagreeable tone denying
Fate has placed her patent on, and tc
which the young woman took immedi
ate exception. For, alas, it Is moi
always that meekness Is one OF needs
distinctive qualifications.
I'm sure" said she, a little spirited
ly, ct is not the pleasantest thing IL
the world to feel the need for doint
much less to ask for work" He,
voice faltered and came lee breaking
on the end of the sentence. The blu'
fire In her eyes seemed about to b.
quenched in tears. Was she going tt
cry? Good gracious! What was t.
be done with her If she went to cry
ing? The city editor was a singh
man and did not know what might b.
the proper thing to do in such a.
emergency.
WELL" said he, a little ~ungracious
ly; "if you can read proof, go owe
this" and he bundled proof-sheets an
copy onto the desk before her, flee
ing for refuge back to the Fifth war
boodling scheme.
He had succeeded in forgetting al
about the young woman behind hin
when her high clear voice broke l.
upon his consciousness, saying: "Dea
me! I've forgotten how to make tn
mark for transposing."
Don't bother!" was the curt repl!
He was just ripping a councilman u
the back, and was afraid some of hi
) vituperative adjectives might &c
3 away.
l "Sir?" was the indignant rejoinde,
: in a tone crisp as celery and cold a
| well-frozen sherbet. But the city e,
! itor went on scratching, and paid n
, attention.
But, by and by, when the %corruptio
: had all been exposed, and the stor
was complete, this terrible male re-
: resentative Of Nemesis, who share
! with her in this age the duty Of cha
Using all offending ma~lefactors, SUI
> sided into his proper person of NEE
! gentlemanly young man, and in h
: suavest tone addressed her, saying
Now, madam, what can have II
pleasure of doing for your as
y turned on his swinging chair, in HI
IL direction.
y But 10 and behold! the black HI
and silk waist with the young woms
& under and inside them, respectivel
9 had vanished.
L There were the proof-slips duly &C
a rected; even the mark for t%ransposil
4 was all o. X. If 1t had not been 4
the pencil marks on these slips,
y might have imagined the entire ana
u only the astounding hallucination
2 an oyer-worked city editors brat
g Could she, after all, have been a fems
Pixie? But no! He had never hea
OF a Pixie with a whole nest of blae
birds on his or her head. He C
cluded. upon reflection, that she mi
ID be a genuine bona fide woman W