Middletown transcript., 1910-01-08
BY W. R, ROSE

His tee th would chatter.
It's true. There are the facts.
/ haven't enough imagination left
to float even such a simple story
as that.
Simple story !-echoed Gordon.
Why this is fine. And the
stranger who leaped in and drew
the girl from beneath the hull?
It improves the story to keep
him anonymous, said the new
man. And his teeth would chat
ter.
But it wasn't professional to
let him get away. Gordon per-
sisted. You say that nobody
seemed to know him and he hid
himself in the crowd. I'm sorry
you didn't follow him. He read
more rapidly and then he sudden
ly dropped the copy. That's the
best piece of work that ever
went into the Gazette, he sud-
denly declared. And to think
you got all that out of the canal
boat launching! You should be
proud Of it.
The man softly laughed.
That isn't what I'm proud of.
I'm proud because I didn't take
a drink. And l didn't take q
! drink because - because I like
you, and | want you to think well
of me.
He tried hard to hold his teeth
together and then Gordon turned
upon him suddenly and put out
his hand. But before the trem-
bling hand could reach it, he
sprang up.
Why, you-you Internal cub,
you're all wet! he cried. So it
was you who went under that
boat and got the girl! And you're
shivering with chill. Back to
the pressroom with you, and don't
you stir away until you are thor
oughly dried out.
He took the new man by the
arm and half led, half dragged
him across the hall and into the
warm press-room.
Let me see you when you are
dry and warm, he said.
The new man smiled.
Too bad about my fine linen, he
chuckled.
Gordon went back to his desk.
He picked up the new mans copy,
glanced at it, and then raped on
the partition. A boy came in and
took the matter.
Rush that, said Gordon. It's
first page.
The boy hurried away, and al
mostimmediately a man appeared
in the doorway. He was a tall
man with streak or two of gray
in his hair. He stopped a little
and his face was thin and serious.
Excuse me, Mr.. Briggs, he be-
gan.
Something broke, Garvin?
No, sir.
Another demand for more pay?
Oh, no, sir. I only wanted to
ask you who that young fellow
sitting by the boiler is ?
That's a new reporter, Garvin.
Whats wrong with him?
The man took a step forward.
Perhaps you can tell me how
he happens to be so wetH
Why, yes, I can, the editor re.
piled. He has been in the canal.
A little girl slipped into the water
and under the boat that was just
launched and our new reporter
pulled her out.
The man drew a quick breath.
That was my little girl, sir.
He turned away abruptly.
Gordon looked after him and
then suddenly smiled.
If / don't check our new re-
porter the staid old Gazette is
sure to drop plumb into the SEN
sational class, he murmured,
Ten minutes later the new re-
porter came back.
Dry again Gordon asked.
Dry enough, the new man an
swered. l can't stay in the
pressroom any longer. There is
a tall man out there who annoys
me.
Annoys you
Yes. He actually pulled off my
shoes and stockings and rubbed |
my feet dry with a bunch of
waste. And l couldn't stop him.
But it was his little girl you
saved, protested Gordon.
That doesn't give him any
special privileges, said the new
man. Why, confound him, he
actually forced me to promise
that I'd come out to his home