Jackson County journal., 1919-09-19

10 her desk. Bannister peering SOL |
emnly over the top of the paper. stud |
ieG her intently. Presently she went |
out. We'll the darned little cuss!"
said BanniSter to himself.
"And had the gall to think I'd make
a feature writer!"
There was one man in the Argus
office who was even more thoughtfelly
courteous to Betty, than any one else:
That was Travers, the dramatic and
musical critic. Travers was as immac-
uIate in manners as in dress and very,
very superior. He had a Harvard ac-
cent and no intinlateS in the office.
Betty considered him the most genu-
inely cultured man she had ever met.
He talked literature. particularly
poetry, with her. The day after her
beautifully pathetic picture of the
stricken widows and orphans appeared
Travers bestowed upon it an analyti-
cally calm approval that she valued
more than all the enthusiastic praise
of the rest of the Office
Then he invited her out to dinner
! Bannister saw them going. noted the
deferential yet protective attitude of
! the critic. and swore volubly.
A month passed. Then came the
night Of the riot. 1t had terminated in
| a nest Of anarchists in the slumS and
it broke out of a clear sky. A hard.
bad crowd gathered silently, then with
a sudden. crashing uproar began raid
ing the arms and ammunition places.
The police reserves were out and the
riot call for troops sent in. The town
was in a turmoil, the streets perilOus-
all in a moment. Betty had been din
ing with Travers, a frequent custom.
They h: been to foreign restau-
rant. a little away from the center Of
things.
AS hey turned a corner they found
themselves in the midst Of frantic
crowd, red tagged, crying death to
an American flag on the ground, srat
upon it. kicked it.
Betty famed into fury. stop that
you-you -creat9!re," she cried. Shal-
inc her fist at the brute make him
stop T. she demanded, turning to Ira,
vers. With ono accord the vild-nyrf
crowd russ! q bowling at thr'n And
Travers. shaking n"tty's hand from his
arm turned a.l fed
The hNrly man first to reach Betty
seized her arm With Il cruel @r:p
! Thrusling his face close into hers Il;
svore viiely III her in English. ''Ne
fX such llind--you Ri"nt now" ht
shouted. Thomas still @iinning her a,.m
he turned le2r;ng tn his ro!n4tHnien'
and g2hbled some qt:e>ton IL Il iorci@l
tongue.
At that instant q long police night
stick swung over Bettys : :n'der nnt
the hurly man Went down - a thltG
a rucl of rioters rushed II whoeve
was behind her For an instant Pntt
was in the midst Of q scuffting. grun,
ing. cursin@ mass. \ strong arm >Nuu
her into the shelter Of a long bod!
and twice again the yellow stick I,
sounded on thick skulls Momcntaril
the crush OF il-smellinn humanit
leaned away from her. Then aroun
the corner came dozen policemn
with riot guns The h0l&heviStS SCI
tered and fed. And Betty found he
self ~nu@giing tightly to lhe side I
Fred Rannister
; by thunder. girl, only got here
time" lie laughed through lahore
trcathng.
"Oh drar." Shivered Heftv. 1T W;
rni~h-y lucky for me yau h'nn"nod
come"
"'Happen"d' be bloNrel heard "
eF mention he I. tie europe aS YOU can
out When this started I knew "
>, were in vrong-in that comn}ny. SO
bummcd fI'> uh and came a-rllnn II
= met Mr. Yellow Fellow beating
Listen Betty dent h.fvt. -nt
:. what sort TraverS is He's told you
about himself now After This I'm g
ing to take you aror, Il You need
escort with less culture and mo
-, sporting blood"
~ well, after the way you've treat
~ me- l like your nerve!" protested b
- ~: but she smiled gratefully up
"a him.
.. "Glad you do" replied Rannist
"a ITS brand new"