The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1909-02-24

1 from Mr. and Mrs. Heath.
None of these pleased the colonel.
! He sat in small rocking chair,
, which creaked remonstrantly and at
t each suggestion shook his head and
, pulled harder at the white mustache
/ that dropped over his stern mouth.
Miss Grady was in despair. She felt
| that something was due the abused
: parties, though her memory of Marian
; Heath had taken on a vixenish edge
J that grew keener each moment. 1t
!, was time for her to keep dinner en-
gagement, and still Col. Dillingham;
: refused to be appeased and go away.
He was sitting very still and practical.
} ly saying nothing.
; Since you and Miss Heath are not
, engaged suggested Miss Grady
, sweetly, 1--WE can refer to the matter
as an unconfirmed rumor or say that
it has been denied by the family"
This had already met with the
colonel's disapprobation, but she tried
it again hopefully. There was only
another mournful shake of the head
in response. What few words the
had deserted him. He seated himself
: with much ease and quiet, as if some
thing might break. He was still very,
very angry. Miss Grady was des-
perate.
Miss Grady looked her desperation.
; The foreman Of the composing room
came calling for copy and lowered
around the door in the hope that she
would hand some out. How was it
possible to write or even to think
when the spurious fiancee sat near
her elbow?
Time fled, and the foreman appeared
now with an agonized look upon his
grease-stained face. Miss Grady had a
sudden inspiration.
Sweeping an accumulation of clip
pings, letters, paste and paper knives
from a corner of the desk, she drew
out the sliding shelf that formed an
occasional temporary writing table
Suppose, colonel" she murmured in
her most honeyed accents, calculated
to tempt a saint to sweetness after
any thunderstorm, suppose you write
just what you would like me to say.
You must know best what would
please Miss Heath and yourself. 1t
will be great pleasure to us to print
whatever you choose to say"
This was a master stroke, she
thought, and relieved her, should the
colonel accept her proposition, both of
his morbid stare, which had grown
; unbearable, and the responsibility for
the forthcoming apology.
The colonel did accept. To her Sc
cret delight he took the chubby black
pencil she almost forced into his un-
>. willing fingers. Then he transferred
his gaze to the sheets of soft white
copy paper that she placed ready for
his hand.
She turned to her piled-up matter,
y unopened mail, proofs uncorrected,
- wrote hurried words about the going
), and coming of people whom she knew,
:, much more about certain others whom
- she did not know, clipped neat little
> notices from the exchanges heaped in
. front of her, and satisfied the foreman
:, :, with a batch Of copy. Then she dis
- appeared into the telephone booth
~ and talked an age. Through the glass
sides she could see him still hard at
! :, work, and she smiled, amused at his
| diligence. When she returned the
pile of paper had visibly dwindled and
:, a corresponding heap of crushed and
- torn bits showed in the waste basket
though the colonel seemed no nearer
= the end Of his appointed task.
;, At last, after many brave attempts
- the document was completed. The
:, colonel rose with sigh and gave the
:, sheet to Miss Grady. He thanked her
Il with careful, old-fashioned politeness
. and regretted that the occasion should
g have caused them both so much anx
g iety.
When the sound of his footsteps had
y died away and the click of the eleva
= tor door told of his safe departure
a. Miss Grady cast a wary eye over the
70 statement she had agreed to publish
-, the formal denial of the Dillingham;
engagement
II And this was what she read in the
Nv colonels cramped and grabbed bu
10 perfectly clear handwriting:
n Announcement of the engagement
C. and approaching marriage of Mis-
g. Alice Heath and Col. D. w. billing
,e ham, which will take place at ST
h. Paul's on December 3, was made with
10 out any authority whatsoever from tn
at contracting parties"
n, And Miss Grady laughed until tn
e. city editor came in to see what ha,
5! given her Mysteries.
as Haitians Lazy Lot.
le Sydney Brooks, writing to the Lon
e. don Chronicle about Haiti, says tn