The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-06
The Eue,,i1,e Story
An Editorial DINNER.


John Quincy Adams Bassett, editor
and proprietor Of the Chester 'Gasette.'
Job printing in all its branches. Wood
and produce taken On subscriptions.
An independent paper for the people.
Terms, II per year.
That waS the way his card read, and
he was . good man. All editors Of
weekly papers are good men until their
circulation rises above 600. Then they
begin to grow rich and vilIainous. The
'Gazette'' had less than 800 subscribers,
and would never have any more. Con.
seQuently Mr.. Bassett would never be
rich nor villainous.
Now and then. when the editor could
borrow rig from some villager, he
q day to solicit subscribers and bring
back potatoes, string beans. turutps,
apples or whatever else the farmers
were willing to exchange.
The discoveries of the art Of print
ing never figured that an editor would
be driven to this. but as time went on
the thing ran away from them and got
beyond control. On ono Of these In
termittent excursions MT Bassett
stopped at the house OF the widow An
drews. He had heard OF her. but had
never met her. He found q woman OF
about 20. spry and smart She was rum
ming little farm herself and making
success Of 1t. She had only one boy
Of eight, and q nice boy he was.
She was not a subscriber to the Ca
xette." but she was willing to become
one. provided she could pay in produce.
She aided the editor to load up what
would have cost him about three dol
lars in the village, and as 1t was get
ting along toward dinner time she sug-
gested that he remain for the event.
He did 50. and when he finally took the
road for home he unused:
BY thunder, but that was q ban
Quet! Here is q widow only middle
aged. Shes q dandy Of a cook. She
is not bad looking. She has g. snug
little farm. She has only one child. and
he il nice little boy. She has been
a widow five years.
And then he went at it and counted
in all the widowers and old bachelors
that he could think of and broke out
again:
.Why. doggone it. there are no less
than sixteen men that ought to be
sparkling that widow, and yet there 10
nd osAas that comes. ni&3ax her! xNa3nk IL
the old Harry can be tho matterr
A long minute OF pushing. and then:
'She can't have given 1t out that she
does not intend to marry again. "A
widow seldom does that. They leave 1t
an open question. I couldn't approach
the question. because have a wife and
three children. but I'll bet q full page
advertisement against peck Of tur-
nlQS IudI INC Llknt NAu CdIk0 0tVHA8
he could be stepfather to that lad
Half a mile further ON 1t was:
-Gave me a big bargain in vegetables
and q banquet of q dinner besides!
Say, J. O., the Gazette must do some
thing for her-it must for sure. What
shall 1t be?''
1t was two days before the scheme
came to him. He was seated in his
sanctum, shearing out copy from his
exchanges. and the scheme looked so
good to him that he uttered q hurrah
that caused the apprentice boy to stick
his head into the room and ask:
HAS any one paid in dollar on
subscription?"
.tOf course not!''
"Didn't know but they had. and you
were going to give me half Of It on
the 'leven dollars you owe me-
james. it will never happen!' SOL
EMMY announced the editor.
Never, unless you go ineaner'
When the scheme was in type it
read:
.aThe editor Of the Gazette wants q
bachelor or a widower to scall at this
Office. Must not be over 80 years old.
and a man of sterling character. Farm
ers preferred. II a wfdower. he must
not have more than three children at
home. and must have reared q tomb
stone over the grave OF his wife. TIE
first one to show up may get the prize
S1A~-s~~~-->>S
lars $3.50 Fs~'s
The edito- had been told a hundred
times that no one read advertisements
any more, but there was the lie direct.
He sold over q hundred extra papers
on account Of it. It was read or talk Il
about for miles around. What could it
be that included only the two classes
and gave no one else q show? And
| how could the Gazette give away q
prize worth thousands Of dollars when
! It was a well known fact that the ed :
=, tor had to borrow money almost every
week to nay for his bundle of white pa
| per?
that had forgotten whether the editor
! died one or two years ago now STOP
ped to shake hands with him and
pump for information. They got only
sufficient to deepen the mystery
| The widowers seem to figure that
the idea was to sell them q patent
| churn, or something Of the sort; but
l at length they began dropping in in.
timid way. Tho editor knew them all
He was going to get that widow 9 hus-
band. but he'd got to be good one
Those who were at AL doubtful were
| turned down by fair excuses. but thcse
How long has your wife beer
dead?''
.sThree years"
HAS she got . headstone?
Had one up in four m0nths."
How many children z"
Two girls and . boy"
Think Of getting married Agalny'
"a little bit, mebbe. The chfldre1
sure need the care Of Z mother. ana
am tired of flushing around
You married for love, didn't you!
Sure
And never had any auarrels viii
Iyour wife 80
mot . one. I hain't quarrelsoms
man.
wouldn't expect to love or b lowed. u
was the case before 20
Mot s1kAssly. I don't think ia b
trying to. compooe any 00eo 70 tn
imoon- There'd be love- 6uf Il weuldn''