The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-29
TIE EVENING STORY
Ton,my's Discovery.
(By Martha Cobb Sanford.)

VI sinai perlOolcdl the Literary
Leafiet" had remarkably well equip
ped force. 1t employed an editor-in-
chief, an assistant editor, a fiction
editor, household editor. receiving
editor. stenographer and a general
Office boy.
Frederick Mallory Mason, A. B., was
the ediror-in-chief, and Tommy (last
name and degree of education want
ing) was the general Office boy. Mar
garet Van Amburgh, B. M. bachelor
maid), held all the other positions.
This able trio kept things moving
amicably-a state of AFFAIRS due to the
editors never failing good nature. TO
Tommy's love of the ludicrous, and to
Miss Van Acknowledgement, to her
combined prettiness and extra ordinary
ability.
Into the midst of this center of ac-
tivltles, on one particularly exacting
afternoon, minute piece of paste
board forced Its polite intrusion. Tom
my handed it to Miss Van Amburgh
with a reminiscent grin.
"She told me-" he announced. ito
give it to Mr.. Mason, but 1 promised
the boss not to let any one get by me
this afternoon. She came near II,
though. Say. but she's a winner!"
Miss Van Amburgh glanced at the
name. dropped her work, and, ignoring
Tommy's gratuitous observations, went
out to meet Miss Elizabeth Greene.
To Tommy's amazement he soon
found himself ushering the winner"
into the editors sanctum.
Him." he soliloquixed, within cal
culated earshot OF Miss Van Am
| burgh, Something's up. She amt no
authorest. I'll bet my meal ticket"
Tommy" reproved Miss Van Am IN.
burgh with dignity. You are Ire NO. not
| Mason's visitors. Copy these letters
Mark my words" he muttered as
he moistened the copying sheets,
"she's got the boss faded-sure."
And It looked so when an hour later
| the mysterious visitor. smiling but
with tear-stained eyes. left the office
| followed by the attentive editor.
"Just close up the days business as
best you can, Miss Van Amburgh," in
| shall not be back this afternoon"
| "wot did 1 tell yer?" boosted Tom
| my, but Miss Van Amburgh was too
| busy to answer.
| the Literary Leafiet" the next day.
/ The editor-in-chief was noticeably dis
| traught. He dictated in an absent
| minded manner. and again left the OF
1 fee early, offering no explanation or
| this most unusual proceeding. Tommy
waited until the door closed tight, ana
| then whist1ed.
leone to meet the winner, he
con5sctured' I'll bet Ret Mason Mason.s desk
and be quiet about it, directed Miss
Van Amburgh. you grow lazier
| every day.
In a few minutes. only the click.
click of the typewriter broke the 81
Ience. Suddenly a long chuckle came
from the editorial sanctum.
Tommy, what are you doing?" de-
manded Miss Van Amburgh, facing the
culprit sternly.
| "Cet on to this" said the unabashed
4 halfinU1y from some
torn scraps of paper pieced together
1 on the desk blotter before him. L
found them in the waste basket. It's
| hot stuff: at's-the-way-
III - feel-about-you - sweetheart
With a sudden sweep Of her hand.
| Miss Van Amburgh sent the tell-tale
scraps flying. =,
| "I'll have you discharged. Tommy,
| she threatened solemnly. go take
those letters out Of the press and carry
them over to the postofiice. You
needn't come back
"Ever?' gasped the astonished
Tommy. "You amt got no right
Back tonight, you silly. Now. step
AS soon as Tommy had been gone
a sufficient length of time to insure
against his possible return, Miss van
paper out on the blotter before her.
| She felt as guilty as she was
| Did you ever see anything SO
| beautiful Cher cheeks flushed as she
ready that you wanted to throw your
| arms around it and sing for happi-
ness? Well, that's the way 1 feel
about you, sweetheart. want to fold
| you close to my heart and sing to you
| of love-"
For some time Margaret sat very still,
| her chin resting on her hand. Sudden
| ly she brushed away the tears that
| were forming On her big brown eyes.
| and gathering up the precious scraps
| put them in an envelope.
After she had directed this se 1itn ns1h
Greene" she dropped it, without hesita-
ton. down the office mail chute. The
thud that indicated the letters arrival
| in the box far below sounded the death
knell of her hopes, and the air castle
crashing about her. But she was glad
she had had the courage to give an
other woman the happiness she covet-
ed for herself.
With the feeling that she had passed
through some awful ordeal, yet had
come out of it creditab1y. Margaret
wrapped up a bunch OF miscellaneous
manuscripts for home work, and closed
the office.
AS she was reading these over later.
| she came upon one that bore precious
comment of her own. This Is worth
| accounting" she had jotted down for
| the editors benefit, 'if you can fix the
mans love letters up a bit. They do
| not ring true"
Turning the pages over hstiessiy 20
the hero's first unsatisfactory epistle,
| she was startled to read. in Mason's
handwriting, the very letter she had
uieced together that afternoon. She
| turned to the next letter. This, too.
| Mason had attempted to revise. 1t be-
| gan encouragingly, but stopped short
with the characteristic marginal com
ment. Miss ". / can't do anything
with these old things. Haven't had any
practice. You rewrite them"
THE enormity Of the blunder she had
n,ade flushed Margaret's cheeks Grim
son. For the next two days she went
| aho,,+ the office in a daze. Should she