The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-03-07
WeIlington's Girl
And How She Helped to Handle a
Big Newspaper Story.

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Rainey, the news editor. wen
to Blake, the managing editor
with a telegram.
Wellington wires to know II hi
can't have his vacation now,'
said Rainey. HE wants to stoI
over at Newton on his way home.
Tell him." instructed Blake
that any vacation he takes now
will be made permanent. We're
short-handed, and we want him
back here in a hurry. He ought
to have started last night"
Rainey went back to his desk
and answered the telegram as di-
rected.
Wellington had been sent out
on an important story, which he
had handled successfully, and he
should have been on his way
home.
Rainey went to Blake again O
little later with another telegram.
Wellington wants to stop over
Saturday and Sunday at Newton"
mol" Numbered Blake. Hes
lost one day already. What is
there at Newton, anyhow, that
makes 1t so Interestingly"
"Wellington's girl, l believe"
replied Rainey.
Wellington says he's going to
stop at Newton" Rainey an
nounced.
Fire him by wire!" instructed
Blake angrily.
Cant" returned Rainey. "He
said he was leaving for Newton
when he wired last, and he gave
no Newton address. May not be
at a hotel, and we couldn't pick
out the right one, anyhowpT
whats the girls name?'a
Don't know" W b.
What a devil of a lot of trou-
BILE women make!" growled
Blake. "I'll see that letter OF
discharge is on his desk when he
gets back, and that the reason il
stated" 4t
The letter was written leand
put on Wellington's desk, naand
thereupon Wellington became a
neglible quantity so fat as the
Express" was concerned He
was considered no longet a mem
Der of the staff when q lstartling
Associated Press bulletin was re-
ceived the next day. There we're
others who could haAdleii big
stories quite as we'll, II not Diet
ter, and this was 80 big that the
slightly of less important mat
tiers never would be noticed.
The bulletin read: CLOUD
burst in the mountains. Town OF
Highwood destroyed. Through
passenger train In Highwood
depot lost. Wires down and
tracks washed out. No word
since last night, except story OF
one half-dead survivor who has
just got through"
Blake jumped for an atlas and
a timetable, and Rainey and the
city editor leaned over him as he
looked up Highwood.
Cant get anyone there from
here before tomorrow" he an
nounced, "but it's more than a
single-day story. Then to the
city editor: "Start three men
and an artist, Brown. Tell them
to be there tomorrow morning, ii
it's necessary to buy up the road
to get through. Rainey and
will figure out today's story"
Hold on a minute! Here's
Newton, only sixty miles away!
Lord! we've Just got to get hold
of Wellington! Wire him, Rainey,
and then try the long-distance
phone. Why the devil didn't he
mention his girls name?"
There is nothing more agra
waiting, no greater strain on the
nerves, than comes with an at
tempt to get the elusive details
of difficult story. SO It natural
ly happened that Blake was in nc
amiable mood when he was finally
notified that Newton wanted him
on the long-distance.
wellington at last" he ex-
claimed. But It was a feminine
voice that came to him over the
wire.
DO you want Mr.. yelling
toni" asked the voice.
do / want He broke of
short and demanded sharply
Where is he?"
II thought you did" said the
voice. II heard a messenger waf
hunting for him with a telegram
SO l got the telegram and opened
It. Then they told me you'NSsbeen
telephoning, too, and ! thought
-
Are You wellington's girl7'
Blake blurted out thoughtlessly
and he heard a gasp at the other
end of the wire.
"Why--why, yes, I beIieye
am" came the hesitating fep1y.
well. get him to the teleptons
quick" aoaat
II can't; he isn't here.sfs'u
mot there! Oh" Blake re.
membered that he was talking tc
a woman just In time to chbp of
the last word. ilyBh
No." said wellingtopS ~ girl
che isn't here. He left for High.
wood on the first relief tfh1nMhis
morning--ran right away from
me when hadn't seen him for
Gone to Highwood!" cried
blake. "Oh, good old yelling
toni"