The Washington herald., 1916-02-01
DAILY SHORT STORY.
"Lida Lane, Press Agent. /"
BY JANE OSBORN.

BY JANE OSBORN.
Copyright, 1916. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicats)
Timothy Bradley looked at the card
that the office boy had handed him. II
bore the inscription. Ida Lane. press
agent. A. n. L. P. e. W.
What the deuce is an A. n. I. P. z.
w. he asked the boy. III she's any
sort Of book agent 1 simply can't see her.
Tell her I'm out-no. wait a minute. II
she doesn't look positively violent show
her in-that is, unless she's a sutfra-
gist I don't believe I'm in trim to see
any Pankhursts today"
Timothy Bradley was running for Con-
gress. and It was part of his political
tactics no less than a phase of his own
good nature, never to turn away callers
who asked for personal interviews On
this particular morning. he was more
than ordinarily busy, for election day
was drawing nigh and the campaign
Ing maneuvers were at their height.
Then Ida Lane came into Mr.. Brad
ley's Office.
OF course she was pretty-she had been
selected for her work partly because OF
that very fact She had friendly, frank,
unsophisticated brown eyes, a peach skin
complexion and a firm, determined,
rounded little mouth that made her look
younger than she really was. AS a mat
ter of fact Ida was only twenty-five
anyway.
She took the prorered chair at Mr.,
Bradley's desk and then explained. Il
have just come to Brookburgh as the
press agent OF the A. y. L P z. w.
and after studying the situation here ]
have started my campaign by calling on
you. / want to know where you are
going to take your stand on this great
question. Are you for US or against US?
Whatever your answer We will gain by
having 1t known. II you are with US
we will win your friends. II you are
against US We will profit by your poll
tical enemies and perhaps add to their
over the strong political friction that
your campaign is creating"
We'll, just a minute" interrupted
Bradley, wondering how that absurdly
youthful mouth could be SO emphatic.
Il am quite sure I am for your person
ally"
He didn't intend to say just that, but
he let il pass with a flourish of his hand
Just to get line on what way I can
be OF assistance to you, let me ask you
what this n. P. Y. Y. z. association is
that you represent am prepared to
stand stand on preparedness, prison
reforms. prohibition, vivisection and sew
eral other sections. I am willing TO say,
too, that I am not a vegetarian, or q
Mormon, or or Mohammedan. or an an
archist. or a nihilist, or an I. w. w.
Have I covered your question:"
Ida laughed heartily at this speech
and Timothy laughed with her. He had
the comforta BILE. expansive feeling OF
having been extremely clever. He was
also aware that Lide Lane, whoever she
was. showed a very pretty set OF teeth
when she laughed.
II thought, of course, you knew" she
explained The A. n. L. P. E. W. is
the American National League for the
Political Emancipation OF Women-the
only live-wire suffrage organization in
Brockburgh. They have imported me to
do the press work. I have been search
ing through your record at headquarters
and 1 find that you have made no state
ment as to where you stand on the ques-
ton of votes for women"
"Then they've got me down on the lists
over at your headquarters? What did
you find out?''
"Oh. that you're a bachelor OF good
habits. and no family. That you are the
heir to the Bradley fortune. which is
reputed to be larger than 1t really is,
though 1t is quite respectable. That you
are a lawyer by profession, that you
make strong friends and strong enemies
and that you'd go to any honorable
means you could to get into Congress.
So far, no returns on the suffrage Ques-
ton"
well, you see"-Bradley felt strange
ly at loss for exactly what to say. II
never had just the opportunity I wanted
to come out on this matter I thought
that is-if the women want It why
shouldn't they have it? But hold on
there, young lady, don't take that down
as an interview. First let me give you
N,NN Il
nCity game the way it should be.
In the first place, a press agent
you see I've done some of that work
myself-doesn't want to waste time
writing copy. Let the newspaper fell
lows do that What you press agents
want to do is to start a row or some
thing and then make the newspaper
boys think you are trying to keep II
from them. They'll come around fast
enough. Now this idea of yours about
making political capital of my position
here in Brockburgh is good. What you
want TO do now is to trot back to your
little Office without taking a word OF
notes about what I have to say on the
suffrage issue But in a day or so-this
afternoon II 1 can-Ill drop around at
suffrage headquarters. Somebody's sure
to see me. The Office of the Morning Ban
ner is right across the way. You must
prime your people to Keep mum when the
reporters ask them about my call, and
for a day or two we'll Keep them guess
ing. In the meantime, I'll drop around
every day and have conferences with you
or your big chief and read the dope that
you hand out. They will overhear US,
the first thing you know. and there il will
be the next day all across the first page
of the Banner"
1t was only three o'clock that afternoon
when Bradley made his first call at suf-
frage headquarters, and for three days
things went on according to schedule.
The reporters did follow him TO head
quarters and they did ask questions. No
one at headquarters vouchsafed to offer
any information. since the leaders had
been taken into the secret of the scheme
that Bradley had laid down to Ida.
Therfe was much. too, that the poll.
tlcian found It was necessary for him
to learn from Ida about the feminis,