The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1918-03-02
Back-Door
:, Methods
BY Helen Gregg

Observation-Disclosures
(CopSright. Mcclure Newspaper syndicats)
III you ever expect to make go as
society editor" said the city editor.
looking over the top of his horn spec
tacleS and not takiug the trouble to
take the cigarette from the place where
1t adhered TO his lower lip. "you've got
to learn the back door method. Get
the dramatic editor to give you tick
want to see, and hand them out to the
telephone operators In some Of the
swell hotels. In return, they will lis
ten 10 conversations when the swell
danes In their places call anyone up.
Kid the ladies' maids In the dressing
rooms when you go to charity balls,
and get next to the halr-dressers and
manicure girls that are employed by
the society women who don't have
their own maids. OF course, the big
bugs themselves won't tnke the trou-
BILE to talk to you" and there was an
emphasis On the "you" that was very
'bolittling to Clarics Daw. newly In
rt''eN 10 Soti''s euitot VI thc A>eNS
World.
Sometimes, In spite Of the city cd
itor's Judgment, the "big-bugs" did talk
to Clurice. II they over mentioned her
at all to each other It was to speak Of
her as mice little thing" Very
i pretty though she was, she managed
never to be striking when she attend
ed society functions. and though more
than one husband or son would gladly
have talked to her instead of the more
eligible women Of their own set, CLAIR
Ice knew too much to let them. She
/ preferred the back-doo method Of get
ting news. II she were forced to con-
suit the "blg.bugs" mt nll, she had
learned that the oldish women when
approached with considerable but dis
Greet Hattery yielded up the facts she
wanted TO know better than anyone
else. But Clarlce had made the dis.
cOvery that there IL no one In the
world that Is so hattered by the at.
tenti0n Of a young and pretty woman
as nm old woman. especially when that
attention IL accompanied by complete
righteousness Of the existence Of that
aging ones husband or son.
| On the occasion OF the big war ben
eft bazaar that was to be given out
Mt Colonel james Drcw's country es
tate late In the autumn, Clnrice WIS
urged 10 "do her durnGest" by the city
editor. He promised to give the event
the most conspicuous position on the
front page, Of course, provided there
was not another revolution I'm Rus
sla or a cabinet minister did not re-
, sign or something Of that sort. ITS
to he the biggest social event Of the
season." he told her, "and. besides,
there is very good reason why we
want to have Drew think the News
World Is the best sheet In town."
"Well I'm sure there is every reason
why he should" protested Clarice
whose loyalty to the paper for which
she worked was complete.
- Clnrlce circled hurrlcdly round the
large drawing rooms where the vari.
Gus booths had been set up and then
roamed through the protected gardens
| of the old estate and down linden lanes
and through hemlock groves and In
and out japanese garden, where the
various mOney-extrncting schemes
were established. She noted on the
tiny sheets Of paper that she held In
cOnsplcuOusly In her hand the, gowns
| Of the various distinguished women
whose faces had come to be very fn'
miliar to- her. But, reelected Clnrice
gowns wouldn't be enough for first
page story. She wished that n fire
might break out In wing of the house
or that someone would fall into the
pool In the japanese garden so that
someone else might make n heroic
rescue Hut nothing like that hap
pencd. Then Clarice remembered the
back-door method.
| Sheltered In grape arbor that ran
at right angles from the hedge that
bounded the kitchen yard was an ela5
orateiy set-up bar. Although. per
force, all the drinks there dispensed
were OF the soft variety. The bar was
entirely attended by men, who stood
smoking and shivering there IN the ar
t0r--apparently their sanctuary from
too much fenlninity. Mnyhnp behind
those bottles of gingc, ale wc,c some
others not listed on the cn rmous
fncstiously worded list OF drinks that
was fastened conspcuously oAcr the
| iInproipptu bar. Clnrlce knew, ot
course, lint interesting though such Il
revelation might be, 1t would never dc
TO make tho Interest of her article de
pend on s9ch information.
What did focus her attention was
tho presence Of two Woodworking men
IN white linen coats who mixed vari
| ous csaasetions with all the eNpertness
Of professionally. They were the only
servants that CiAr.cs had yet'been able
" ksssysr. She knew that II she could
| got held Of Que Vt the servant,
Of the Drew household she could ex
tract what infsrNattss she wanted
Shs therefore LAlsd her way over to
VArfs Ne ksr In the arbor taking care