Bisbee daily review., 1911-07-14

ary upon the Heather"
 But the worst had not yet come. A
 letter from Harris wife who was in
 Australia with their sick daughter
 told the father to come immediately if he would see the child alive. With a
 groan Harris refolded the letter and sat in thought for few minutes. HeI knew he could scarcely afford the trip to the antipodes, especially as| heaven only knew how many more subscriptions might be cancelled. and even the writer of the story had not yet been paid.
 McDuff. entering in answer to al ring. was startled to see the utter tor. McDuff was proof reader, compos- itor. clerk, typist and practically ev-
 erything but editor. In a few brief sentences Harris ex-
 plained the situation to his factotum. McDuff must take on the office of editor while Harris was away in ] Australia He was cautioned about
 the kind of articles and stories to 1 print. and sternly recommended to accept only such stories as would be
 in accord with the previous tone of
 the magazine prior to the January number.
 McDun's heart was beating wildly. l but his emotions were cleverly con ceaied by an expressionless face. Ed
 itor! McDuff. Editori II. Two weeks later when MeDuff was i just finishing the last stick of type on The Influence of the Missionary Upon the Heather" the office boy an- | nounced that Mir James Merreweath-
 CT was waiting in the office to see
 the editor James Merreweather-the ! author who had written "A Divorcee's
 Affinity"
 i With an angry motion McDuf | threw of his apron and pulled on ] his coat Without waiting to wash | his hands or smooth his tumbled blonde hair he made his way to the office.
 1 A tall. strongly-built man was | standing by one of the windows look ' ing down into the narrow street, lit i tie more than an alley He turned to ! McDuff and smiled pleasantly. Embarrassed by the pleasant assur- ance of the perfectly groomed and
 handsome author, and fully aware of the sorry figure of an editor he must | cut. McDuff stammeTed:
 Mir Merreweather2 What can I do | for you. sir?"
 T came to see Mir. Harris, the ed ! itor," MerreweatheT answered, still | smiling.
 Mir. Harris is away. I am the edi- ! tor pro tem," McDuff answered none ! too pleasantly. his eyes looking un- i smilingly into the brown orbs of the author
 "oh! I see" Merreweather answer
 ed as he surveyed young McDun crit ically.
 T was just passing this way and
 thought that would drop in and ask if Mir Harris had sent me a cheque for seventy pounds yet. The maga- zines always pay on publication, and it is now two weeks since my little story appeared, so I thought perhaps the letter containing the cheqne had gone astray. You no doubt remember the story A Divorcee's-' Remember it, sirir the incensed McDuff nearly shouted. his voice 1 shaking with suppressed anger. Would to God We could forget iti"
 Then. knowing that the cheque had not yet been sent owing to the de- pleted state of the firms bank ac- count for reason of the imperative need of cash for Harris's trip, he stared blankly at the author. What possible excuse could he give tor asking the man to wait until Ihe first
 of the month?
 What do you mean by wishing you | could forget it?" Merreweather asked ! the smile gone from his eyes, but in Ia low quiet voice.
 1 McDuf, the unsophisticated. the | cheerful boy, scarcely a man; the lad
 who had never been farther from 1 home than Brighton for a weekend; | and whose fond mother still bossed
 her six-footed. chubby son, blurted ] out the woes of Harris and the Month i ly Fiction to the author.
 Merreweather was first astonished,
 and then angry, and then. as MoDuff dilated on the contents of the several letters received. he burst into up
 roarious laughter.
 McDuff stopped short, with anger
 written all over his loyal face and
 figure, even to the tightly-cIenched
 fists.
 Come now.s Merreweather said.
 the laugh fading away, ss his fsce became serious Be sociable and sit down. Tell me all about this Monthly FIction-what do you get for adver- tisements and what circulation ycu , have?"
 ; McDuff's round face was study oi indignation, but it soon gave way to interest and alarm as Merreweather talked He shook his head several times as though at the impossibility ] of a suggestion. and finally, as his
 companions low persuasive tones continued. he smiled broadly. and then laughed.
 ''You'H do it?" Merreweather said [ as he observed unmistakabie signs oi surrender in the boyish face. 2 Yes" McDuff answered, briefly } looking frankly into Merreweather' { face.
 ' T knew you were a sport, the author said admiringly. as he rose
 T shall return at four"