Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1909-07-09
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RI dent 5 Message
2 E p W y 4 n S BIZ Il
tcopyrisht, by 3. ppincott Coz

!" ' gig { espoutG W aoeAu " congress 8 Spe.
cial message outlining his views on
the great question that had come up.
All over the world, wherever civilized
people had gathered together into a
nation, statesmen, f1nanciers, and com.
mercial heads were waiting to learn
the stand Of the executive. The United
States was on the point Of taking a
decisive step-forward, some would
say; backward, would say others: but
decisive, nevertheless
Consequently, throughout the coun.
try was suppressed excitement, rising
to fever heat in the newspaper offices.
This day the telegraph room was
supreme, and the telegraph editor was
in his glory. With the exception Of
space needed for paid matter" the
whole paper was at his disposal should
he want it. His stuff had right of way
over editorial and local. Therefore it
was to be expected that the telegraph
editor would look triumphant and i'm.
portant. and the city editor would
look glum and foreboding. .as=
Yet in his little den the telegram
editor of the Times sat disconsolate.
and gently swore at the president.
the presidents message, and at him.
self for being where he was. The aft.
ernoQn Of today vas the one above
all others on which he wished to Be-
of early. The Girl was coming
through on her route home from Chi.
cago, and he had prevailed on her to
stop In the city between trains. He
had planned to go UP the line few
stations and meet her, and in his last
letter he had arranged details to this
effect. s-@
By thus escorting her he would gain
half an hour or more in her company.
and would have the bliss of riding
with her on the train.
In order to carry out the scheme the
telegraph editor would be Obliged to
take the two o'clock train, necessitat.
ing leaving the Office an hour and a
half before the last form was closed.
he had figured that Gerald, from the
city room, who had some experience
IN telegraph work, could finish out the
day until thirty came in; and Gerald
had consented to help in this manner.
But here was the presidents mes.
sage, actually "a hours ahead of the
time fixed upon, unof1c1a1ly, according
to rumor from Washington. :.
Yesterday McVey, managing editor,
had said, on hearing Of the change in
7date:, :.
TIN afraid We'll have to use you to-
morrow, Roberts. Gerald cant be
trusted to handle this message, you
know. Can't you make your trip on
the next day just as well?"
The next day-nardly! The te{e.
graph editor was inclined to- resent
the idea. Tomorrow, with the Girl
IN 1t, and the next day, with her not
IN tt-speakfng relatively-were AZ
unlike as sunshine and darkness. But
McVey couldn't understand, of course.
and It would be of no avail to attempt
to explain the situation to him.
The telegraph editor was % and in
love, and, considering that he had not
seen her for a year, and that she lived
300 miles from him, his provocation to
vent his dfspleasure ~ he thought the
occasion demanded was pardonable.
Clearly McVey was not to blame for
the ruined hopes; the Girl was not to
blame; himself was not to blame: It
was the president of the United States
who was to blame.
The day of the message had now
dawned, and the telegraph editor was
ntfully conscious that really the, after.
noon was not to be wholly devoid of
pleasure. He had the secure antfcipa.
tfon OF meeting her at the station.
anyway, though deprived of the ride
on the train from up the road into the
city. f..
1t was waxing along towards noon.
The telegraph copy had been cut and
condensed, saving only enough to All
up with and to furnish the heads re.
quired for the typographical appear,
ance.
McVey evidently had forgotten en-
tirely that this was the day when tho
telegraph editor had intended taking
5aunt fraught with much of moment.
The youth was disposed to bristle at
such laxness of memory and such
dearth OF sympathy, but he remem.
bered that the managing editor was
not aware of the circumstances Of the
case. He was brusque, and 40. and
had no Girl.
As the telegraph editor sat At his
desk and waited for the message he
was tracing the movements Of the
Girl. He saw her at, the station in
Chicago, saw her trip aboard the train.
and saw the admiring glances Of the
persons round about her. At this min.
ute she must be half way to the juno.
ton where he had promised to meet
her. She would be disappointed. She
would receive bit of yellow paper
here telling her how sorry he was for
he had sent dispatch to her to this
point in part compensation for the
break in their arrangements.
He wondered If she loved him
CAD! how he loved her! II he had
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