The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-25
The EVENING STORY
MeIita,s L.ast Interview.
CBy James R. Sheldon.


tone of one who had simply to make
his wants known to haYe them filled,
but there isn't man free. You know
it's just out that young James Floyd
James, whose uncle cut him off with
out a penny because he wouldn't play
the society game but insisted on be-
ginning at the bottom and working his
way up, has been made general man
ager of the B. t & S. Railway. Do you
see?"
"Oh, come now coaxed the manag
ing editor. You're as shy as my
daughter Molly. I told you; there's
not a man free who could handle the
You can do it. Go down and see the
man. Get a good story I'm no end
sorry to ask you, Miss Sill-but what
can 1 do? Can't go myself, and can't
go to press without the story
Melita walked slowly back to her
There was nothing else to do when the
big, managing editor said go"
But 1 just hate to interview peO-
pie" muttered Melita. cit makes me
feel so-well so like the way 1 used to
feel when l forgot my penny at Sun
day school or ate my soup with the
wrong spoon and then had to eat my
pudding with my soup spoon-just un-
comfortable and out of it and horrid.
oh, bother!''
Melita worked on the woman's page.
She liked the work, and Abe liked the
Office, and she liked, above all, the
kind fatherly managing editor. But
several times, in connection with her
work she had gone to interview prom
inent women, and, fortunately, as she
thought, she had made a success of
these interviews. So when the editor
was rushed with work, and all the re-
porters were busy and there was a
special interview to be made, he some
times called Melita to do it.
You make better thing of it than
those silly young cubs" he would say,
to pacify her
1t was painful for Melita, to ask any
one for an Interview It seemed to her
the height of impertinence for her-in-
experienced, p1odding, little Melita Sill
to demand of some leader in the
world of suffrage the date of her birth,
and how she did her hair, or some
| leader in the world of politics what he
| liked best to eat and whether or not
| he had ever been in love. And she
would dig her nails into her palms and
hide behind the elevator shaft some
times for five minutes before she could
gain courage to open the forbidding
door of the office of the great man or
woman to be talked to.
Worrying about the coming inter
view drove all thoughts of the pleasure
Sn6 ndQ Deen looking IOTWdEQ 10 nav
| ing at the dinner party that night
from Melita's mind. And it was a
nervous and uncomfortable, though
determined young woman who, at four
/ O clock, walked into the Office of the
B. T. & S. Railway.
I'm from the Morning Ledger, p"
said MeIita sternly to the office boy.
/ 81 should like to see Mr.. Floyd-James,
if you please"
What for?' demanded the boy
ITO ask him for a statement for the
Ledger
well I don't think he'll see you;
but you can sit down if you like while
tell him you're here
/ Melita, sank rigid on the nearest
chair, and watched the boy disappear
Through a door that was marked
private; General Manager
won't see you" said the boy.
emerging from the same door mo-
ment later
Melita rose. ITS very important"
she said. please tell him So"
mo use,'' said the boy, but I will if
you want"
He went again to the door and held
it open while he repeated Melita'S mes
ed figure seated before huge desk,
piled with litter of papers, books.
maps and charts.
''She says began William bravely.
"Get out of here, William came the
voice of the man at the desk peevish-
ly.
But she says
"I don't care what she says. won t
see the lady"
but" complained the boy. "she
won't go. What'n I tell hero
Tell her the truth if you want to,
William snapped the man. TELL her
that about nine billion reporters have
been here this morning. tell her tina {
when I have got anything to say that I
want the newspapers to say for me,
II III let them know; and tell her, that
next to corn meal mush the thing l
most dislike in the world is an AFRO
giant, overbearing, mannish woman
that goes prying about where she isn't
wanted. Get out and shut the door.
Yes. sir said the boy meekly,
closing the door. I'm sorry" he be-
gan, sheepishly turning to Melita.
II Good afternoon: please thank the
gentleman for his kindness said Me-
lita Jelly.
1t was not a very happy young wom-
an who hurried, little late. to the
ldinner party she had been looking for
ward to- In spite of a new frock and
the consciousness that it WAS very be-
coming, Melita felt uncomfortable. She
felt disappointment at her failure to
turn in the desired interview to the
managing editor, cfagrin with herself
for failing on an assignment and, most
of all, hurt at the treatment she had
received from the general manager of
1.-THE B. T. S.
"Oh. my dear" said Molly Bell. her
hostess. 1--WE got the incest man for
lyou; and you're just the sort to appeal
to him Mr. Floyd James come and
Melita recognized the tall, thin fig
lure before her. She looked with a