The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-02
THE PRESS AGENT
BY JANE OSBORN.

bore the inscription, Ida Lane,
press agent. A. N. l.. P. E. w."
Timothy Bradley was running for
congress, and it was part of his po-
litical tactics, no less than a phase
Of his own good nature, never to turn
away callers.
Then Ida Lane came into Mr.. Brad
ley's Office.
OF course she was pretty-she had
been selected for her work partly be-
cause of that very fact.
She took the proffered chair at Mr..
Bradley's desk and then explained, Il
have just come to Brookburg as the
press agent of the A. N l.. P. E. W.,
and after studying the situation here
| have started my campaign by call
ing on YOU | want to know where
you are going to take your stand on
this great question.
Well, just minute" interrupted
Bradley. Just to get line on what
way l can be of assistance to you, let
me ask you what this N. P. X. Y. z.
association is that you represent"
Ida laughed, and Timothy laughed
with her.
Il thought. of course, you knew" she
explained. The A. N. p. E. w. Is
the American National League for the
Political Emancipation of Women"
Then they've got me down on the
lists over at your headquarters? What
did you find out?
"Oh, that you're bachelor of good
habits, and no family. That you are
he heir to the Bradley fortune, which
is reputed to be larger than 1t really
is. though 1t is quite respectable. That
you are lawyer by profession. that
you make strong friends and strong
enemies and that you'd go to any hon
orable means you could to get into
congress. So far, no returns on the
suffrage question
Well, you see" Bradley felt
strangely at a loss for exactly what to
say Il never had just the opportu-
nifty wanted to come out on this mat
ter. l thought-that is-if the wom-
en- want it, why shouldn't they have
It?
In the first place, 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 row or some.
thing, and then make the newspaper
boys think you are trying to keep 1t
from them. They'll come around fast
enough Now this idea of yours about
making political capital of my position
here in Brookburg is good. What you
want to do now is to trot back to your
little Office without taking a word of
notes about what have to say on the
suffrage issue, But in day or so-this
afternoon If ! can-Tll drop around
at suffrage headquarters Somebody's
sure to see me, The Office of the
Morning Banner is right across the
way. You must prime your people to
keep mum when the reporters ask
them about my call, and for day or
two we'll keep them guessing. 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 1t will
be the next day all across the first
page of the Banner
| It was only three o'clock that after
noon when Bradley made his first call
at suffrage headquarters, and for three
days things went on according to
schedule. The reporters did follow
him to headquarters 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
Suppose you let me go to dinner
with you he said one night, after
the scheme had been progressing for
a week.
It was past twilight when they left
headquarters, and Ida, as the last
of the organizers out, closed the door
of the shop.
Maybe you'll have to change that
card you've got in your records about
me before long, he said as they
walked down the block toward Brad
| ley's garage The only reason I've
been a bachelor is because | never
knew the girl before who was pretty
enough to love that had brains enough
to make a success of marriage
When Ida arrived at headquarters
later than usual in the morning hel
first object was to see the Morning
Banner and discover whether the pre-
dictiop Mr.. Bradley had made hat
come true.
But at the headquarters she was
greeted by an unexpected delegation
of suffrage organizers, as well as b,
Bradley himself. who seemed to b.
conversing amiably with the womer
as he entered.
There was look of satisfaction oil
the faces of those present quite for
eign TO the stern business of winning
votes for women White roses AM
violets lay in florists boxes on he
desk.
They stole the march on US, Ida,
was Mr.. Bradley's breezy greeting
for no one else seemed to know jus
what to say. Here's the paper" An
Ida held Il up TO discover across fou
columns on the front page:
Bradley to Wed Suffrage Leade
Congressional Candidate No Loni
er Abe 20 Stay cn the Fence on In
portals Reform issue.