The Washington herald., 1921-06-12

IT WAS ten minutes past eight when Tubbs
lodged into the office. He made a brill
Liant, if abortive, effort to get to his desk
unobserved. As well might he have hoped
to pluck the central sun Of the universe
from its radiant sphere without attracting
attention.
Mr.. Tubbs?" cackled the city editor
"Yes, sir" Tubbs made his way be-
tween rows of desks and faced the arbiter
OF human destiny.
You are late again, Mr.. Tubbs. The
men on this newspaper report at O'Clock" "
Yves sir, but"
''I don't care to hear anything about It,
Mr.. Tubbs. II 1t happens again we shall
dispense with your services"
No one would have suspected, to hear
the city editor, that he had a certain faint
and far-of partiality for Tubbs' work. 1t
was not, probably, that he cared two whoops
for Tubbs himself. AS q matter Of fact the
city editor was believed never to have really
cared for anybody. He was not that kind
Of a city editor.
Sometimes a daring member of the stat
would try to imagine the city editor in the
bosom Of family. but it was always given
up as a hopeless job. There are limits even
20 neWSpdpernan lndJlOn.
He had a reputation Of having "hred'
more men than all the other city editors IN
New York combined, which, taking it by
and large, is an appalling thought.
In the mere matter of results be was re-
vered as the greatest city editor on earth;
at the same time it was as devoutly be-
Heved in the Office that IL he should walk
down the street and meet the Milk OF
Human Kindness coming up be would look
at it just once and put it out Of business
1t was this general regard for the city
editor that prompted Brundage's exquisite
bon mot. still revered through the length
and breadth of Park Row as classic. One
morning the city editor did not appear.
Later it developed that he was sick.
Dear me-" said Brundage, 81 do hope
IT'S nothing trivial!'
At that if the city editor had not es-
,semed Tubbs' work beyond all measure
for this particular city editor, Tubbs would
long ago have been gathered to his repor-
torial fathers.
TIE WAS known among his fellow serfs as
IL the late Mr.. Tubbs. He was the latest
man on the staff Nobody else was ever as
late-nobody else dared to be. But then no.
body else had Tubbs' godlike fancy, that
could conjure any number of perfectly all
right excuses out of the Vastly limbo of moth
ing whatever. Only there was q vague
feeling that Tubbs was too good at 1t.
Which be was.
'EDid you try to lie to him. asked
Froelich, the financial man, as Tubbs
,kipoed blthely back to his desk and pre-
nared to forget all that the city editor haa
said.
.Tubbs looked aggrieved.
"Didu't hear what he handed Tommy
Smith last week, did you?" queried Froe-
I,ch. Tommy came over from Staten
Island half an hour late and scared to death.
To save time he called up from the Bat
t,rv. This is Smith, he said. Anything
for me?'
"'Oh, It's Mr.. Smith, is it, coos the
Old Man. Nothing going on in the courts
this morning, Mr.. Smith?
"Not a thing, sip,' says Tommy.
"aThat's strange says the Old Man.
"'strange, sir?' says Tommy. How
10 you mean, sir?
"'wen,' says the Old Man, I thought
YOU might have a story about the food.
hear the tugs up there in the courtroom"
"Wen, Smithy lasted, didn't he?'' ae-
manded Tubbs.
Froelich borrowed a cigarette.
"Oh, yes, he lasted, but how long Is be
roing to last? Tubbs, my son, Dame For
tune doth not always Wear a smiling face.
One of these mornings you are going to tell
the Old Man just the lie he's looking Tor.
Cave canem! Beware the dog"
Thanks awf'ly,'- nodded the cberubc
Tubbs. II guess his bark's worse than his
bite. Anyway, he's singing. Listen!'
1T has been just six months" mused
Froelich, "since heard the Old Man sing.
Jacky Horner was the goat that day. '1um,
tum, tum,' huns the Old Man, just like
he's doing now. oh, Mr.. Horner tee
fiddle -up-I don't believe-toode too too
we'll need you-tra la-la -la-any more.
FORGET it. Tubbs. Forget it!''
And that was just what Tubbs did,
Whether it was that the clock didn't 60
Of next morning, or breakfast was late, or
he had to find somebody to borrow money
from, the fact remains that at Sis a.. m.
Tubbs was in the subway and still a re-
spectable distance from the bridge
''Holy Mike !" he murmured, as his watch
and the station clocks confirmed his worst
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