The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-08-11
Tom my'S
Discovery.
By Martha Cobb Sanford.
Copyrighted, 1908. by Associated
Literary Press.

ped force. 1t employed an editor In
chief, an assistant editor, fiction ed
Itor, a household editor, receiving
editor, a stenographer and general
Office boy.
Frederick Mallory Mason, A B.,
was the editor in chief, and Tommy
CAST name and degree Of education
wanting) was the general Office boy.
Margaret Van Amburgh, B. M. (bache-
lor 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 Amburgh's-well, to her COM
bined prettiness and extraordinary
ability.
Into the midst Of this center Of ac-
tivities on one particularly exacting
afternoon minute piece of pasteboard
forced its polite intrusion. Tommy
handed 1t to Miss Van Amburgh with
a reminiscent grin.
"She told me-" he announced, ITO
give it to Mr.. Mason, but promised
the boss not to let any one get by me
this afternoon. She came near it,
though Say, but she's 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.
"H'm," he soliloquized within cal
culated earshot of Miss Van Amburgh,
something's up. She amt no au-
thorest, I'll bet my meal ticket
Tommy" reproved Miss Van Am
burgh, with dignity, you are not en-
ployed to pass comments on Mr.. Ma
sons visitors. Copy these letters"
'Mark my words he muttered as he
moistened the copying sheets, shes
got the boss faded-sure."
And 1t 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
tructed Mr.. Mason in passing II shall
not be back this afternoon"
"wot did 1 tell yer?'' boosted Tom
my, but Miss Van Amburgh was too
busy to answer.
Things went badly in the Office Of the
Literary Leafiet the next day. The
editor in chief was noticeably dis
trayght. He dictated In an absent
minded manner and again left the Of
fee early, offering no explanation Of
this most unusual proceeding. Tommy
waited until the door closed tight and
then whistled
"Gone to meet the winner" he con-
1ectured. '.I'll bet N.Y.
Tommy, dust Mr.. Mason's desk and
be quiet about it." directed Miss Van
AmburgA. "You grow lazier every
day"
In a few minutes only the click,
click, OF the typewriter broke the ST
lence. Suddenly a long chuckle came
from the editorial sanctum.
Tommy, what are you doing?" de-
manded Miss Van Amburgh, facing
the culprit sternly.
Get on to this said the unabashed
Tommy, reading haltingly from some
torn scraps Of paper pieced together on
the desk blotter before him. 81 found
them in the wastebasket- It's hot
stuff: We'll that's-the-w feel
about sweetheart. P"-
With sudden sweep Of her hand
Miss Van Amburgh sent the telltale
scraps flying.
'Trl have you discharged, Tommy"
she threatened solemnly. go take
those letters out of the press and carry
them over to the postofice. You
needn't come back"
''EverY' gasped the astonished Tom
my. "You amt got no right"
Back tonight, you silly. Now, step
lively"
AS soon as Tommy had been gone a
sufficient length Of time to insure
against his possible return Miss Van
Amburgh spread the crumpled bits of
paper out on the blotter before her.
She felt as guilty as she was.
did you ever see anything so beau
tiful" cher cheeks flushed as she read
that you wanted to throw your arms
around 1t and sing for happinessf
Well, that's the way feel about you,
sweetheart. l want to fold you close
to my heart and sing to you Of my
love"
For some time Margaret sat very
still, her chin resting on her hand.
Suddenly she brushed away the tears
that were forming in her big brown
eyes and, gathering up the precious
scraps, put them In an envelope.
After she had directed this senti-
mental collection to Miss Elizabeth
Greene" she dropped it, without hesi-
tation, down the Office mail chute. The
thud that indicated the letters arrival
in the box far below sounded the death
knen Of her hopes, and the air castle
which she had built so joyously fell
crashing about her But she was glad
she had had the courage to give an
other woman the happiness she coveted
for herself.
With the. feeling that she had passed
through some awful ordeal. yet had
come out of 1t creditably, 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 pre-
cious comment Of her own. ''This is
worth accepting" she had jotted down
for the editors benefit, IF you can fix
the mans love letters up a bit Thes
do not ring true"
Turning the pages over hstlessly to
the heros first unsatisfactory eptstle,
she was startled to read, in Mason's
handwriting, the very letter she had
pieced together that afternoon. She
turned to the next letter. This, too.
Mason had attempted to revise. 1t
began 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
made flushed Margaret's cheeks Grim
son. For the next two days she went
about the office in daze. Should she
or should she not confessH Her de-
termination of the question was as
far from being settled as ever, when,
late in the afternoon Of the second
day, Mr.. Mason called her into his
Office
He sat at his desk on which lay,
once more, those fatal scraps of paper
and held in his hand a letter, over
which he was evidently perplexed. He
looked up at Margaret, however, with
a smile.
Here's the strangest mixup, Miss
Van Amburgh. wonder If you can
help me make head or tail of it. Looks