Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1916-11-09
ACCEPTING ASSIGNMENTS.
By SETON LEE.

~.eseueee~AuesAuA~seS>sesi
Jean CRANKY sat among the pillows
on the window seat. Her mother and
father and her amt and uncle, who
had come In to spend the evening. sat
around the fireplace. jeans brother
Jack. who stood by the library table
putting cigarette, picked up the Eve
ming Argus and looked careiessly over
its four pages.
See A deaf and dumb and blind
man could get up more news than this
paper prints" was his sweeping crit
fcism.
The thoughtless brother had given
Jean suggestion which she thought
over all during the evening. The next
morning she astonished Mr.. Archibald
Edwards by appearing in his sanctum
and asking for JON AZ reporter on
the Argus.
why, Miss CRANKY. nothing would
please me more II t. were practicable,
or even possible" staInmered the sur.
prisei editor.
"Now. Mr.. Edwards. first let me tell
you what a practical and possible plan
have" Jean was convIncingiy In
earnest, and she made a charming pie
ture in a trim btuo cheviot suit and
Highland cup with a Bit Of plaid rib
bon dangling from Il. Her dark eyes
flashed and her color deepened as she
unfolded her plan. which was 70
arouse the social and civic spirit Of
MHrNhton by persistent appeal
through the Argus. There was 10 be
column headed. '4rs Up to You" arr
other headed, "H0w the Women Can
Help" and another. ''Marshton's Many
Merits"
An hour later Mr.. Edwards was I'M
able TO tell whether II was the bonnie
SMILES Of the applicant or the plausi.
biiity Of her plan that had induced
him 70 take her on"
The plan worked 30 well that few
weeks after Jean began her work on
TINT paper there we're many evidences
that Marshion was beginning TO shske
OF lta social and civic stagnation. In
the Argus Office rushing activity be
came the daily program In all dspart
menta.
ON the sans morning that the fore.
mans wifs teiephoned the Office Of
her husbands Illness with the grip
SIR. Edwards had a violent seizure %
lnmbHgo. Jean faced the CRISIS brave
~. bot she realized the impoaeibilIty
Of getting the paper out Ia any sort
Of shape with the two mRinstayR u
the machinery missing. She retnefn-
hercd having heard Mr.. Edwards say
that his nephew. now reporter on q
city daily. had been most promising
all-roand newspaper worker when he
iegt The Argus Office few years be
fore. Splaething bud 10 ha done anicA.
~, and Jean decided to telegraph for
the nephew, Tor there wasn't an avail.
able man Ia Marahson.
II was then ten o'clock md the FIRST
edition should be out by one. NJ Jean
rolled NJ fbe sleeves Of her soft white
shirtwuiat, and for the next three
hours fiuiterci back and forth from
editorial desk 80 competing and print.
Ing rooms II WAS 30 when the FIRST
edition waa out.
She was turning the damp pages ~
a paper Just on the press when the
Office door opened mud tall, broad
sh0uldered man entered the room. II
had evidently been more than few
years Nlnco ihat man had been merely
promising boy, yes Jean rightly
guessed That he was SIR. Edwards
nephew.
"Mr, Pert EdwarsisT she asked, and
there was a slight twinkle ia the man =
gray eyes as be inclined his head af.
firmatiyeiy.
II am Miss Granby. special writer
on the Argus, but today I've been ed.
itor and foreman Is we'll I'm going
10 ask You 10 take hold Of the fore
mans work az once 30 Ra to get tho
home edition ont promptly. When
that Is done we can work together ON
tomorrow's editorial page. I've got
20 give the next two hours 10 some
special interview stun
Thus coolly did Jean assume the
generalshIp and the tall man accepted
the assignment without letting her
sec his amused smile as he turned
away, For the next two days. he did
chcerfully aud went about what
should be done On the morning OF
the third day Mr.. Edwards returned
to the Office.
Bert, my boy, II WAS like yon TO
help me ont in pinch" he said, In
greeting his nephew, "and Miss Gran.
by, II was hike you 10 know what TO do
In an emergency. Tn glad you sent
for Bert. But how did your chief
happen to let you OF. BertT
"f'm pretty much my chief. Uncle
George, and | had two capable young
fellows 10 leave at my eesk."
AT your desk7 Why, what's your
position nowf" asked his uncle.
"Clty editor" said Bert quietly, with
heeting glance az Jean, who van
ished blushingly Into the next room.
Half an hour late. when Mr.. I'D
wards was deep In his accumulation
OF mail, Bert encountered Jean among
some old newspaper files. She came
to him at once with her hand extended
in apology. and her shy confusion
helped TO make her unusually attrac-
tive looking.
Il hope | haven't seemed unpardon-
ably prigglsh," she said, giving as
signments to superior. was so
Concerned about getting out the paper
that | lost all sense Of everything
else for time" Bert held her hand
and looked straight into her eyes.
They were such agreeable assign
ments that | wish they might con-
tinue indefinitely" he said
Copyright. 1915. by the Mcclure Newapa.
uar Syndicate
st~.m r.. rs-f.fs. a.a e=ama Na