The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-10-10
Kate Breaks the
News
By JANE OSBORN

Mapleville as the city messenger.
Every morning she went TO the BIZ,
city thirty-three miles away, where
she shopped on commission for tn,
AIapleyilleltes. What made her diff
ferent from an ordinary commission
shopper was that she also performed
errands-errands strange and rare
rands she charged for the time ex
pended at the rate Of dollar an hour
But what with always cheating her.
self a little in the figuring Of the time
and railroad and street car fare, Kate
did not become rich. Often she came
very tired, but she could not rest un-
til she had reported to her clients.
She was hurrying along to the sta
ton one morning when Mrs. Granger
hailed her from second-story win
dow. Mrs. Granger had a curling iron
Kate, and she wore dressing gown.
She asked Kate to come upstairs and,
as the Changers were good custom
ers, Kate decided to take a later train,
and did as she was told.
81 just phoned you, but they said
you had gone. What a blessing 1 saw
you" began Mrs. Granger. I've a
queer sort OF errand, but I'm sure you
can do 1t. You see I'm starting this
morning to the shore, motoring down
with friends TO be gone a week, and
I've thousand things to attend to.
You know my nephew, Tom Ben
ton? No? Well, it doesn't matter.
He hasn't been here long, but he's liv-
ing here with US now-commutes to
the city. Very nice young man-no
trouble-hair not what you'd call real
red but reddish, and such nice eyes
but that doesn't matter.
"As l was saying, I'm getting off,
and to add to the confusion / just got
a letter from my sister, Toms mother,
out in Oregon, and she says that
Toms fiancee has just eloped 1 didn't
tell you that Toms engaged, did 1?
pened. You see the difficulty. 1t puts
him In a very trying postion-and
he'd given her such a nice ring, too.
well, my sister wrote TO tell me of
it and asked me to break the news
TO Tom, fearing that he'd take 1t hard
and not liking to write telling him of
it. You know she thought I'd let him
down easy. And of course, she does
want him to know before he gets a
letter from the girl. OF course I
know the writing.
1.-The idea is that Tom must be told
before he gets that letter. He might
take it very hard red-haired people |
are so impulsive. though, of course, !
his isn't a real robust that nice |
shade like dried oak leaves. You get |
the situation. don't you? I'd tele-
phone, only of course l couldn't break |
the news gently that way. Just drop
In at Toms Office, ask TO see him and
WELL somehow let him know that that
girl has gone and eloped without CIV
ing him q shock.
I'm sure you can do 1t You're so
tactful. His office is-well, l can't
remember now, but you'll find it in
The telephone directory. He's an ar
Benton You'll find it."
Kate protested with what courage
she could. but Mrs Granger paid no
attention.
You'll do 1t. / know" she insisted,
and, of course, I'll make 1t worth
our while" She pressed a ten-dollar
ill into Hates hand. Take this to
ay expenses-taxi fares and every
hing, and I'll give you ten dollars ,
nore when l get back to pay for the
7ork. There's a dear" And with .
hat Mrs. Granger disappeared into =
er dressing room to continue her q
reparation for her trip and Kate was d
1T to make her way to the front door n
the Granger house and then on h
own to the railroad station. u
Kate was anything but a flirt-Sill (
re had fiirted. If casting a bit of a e
nile at a strange young man at a N
lilroad station might be called flirt- h
e. He went in on the S:S0-the ii
ain that Kate tried to catch on Sat S,
udyS- ne WIS always on llle pidt- | III
rm when Kate rushed in at the last CT
mute. and he had mot been very o,
fllful In hiding from her the fact it
at he found her charming. ii
Kate had, Of course, become con- m
ious of the strangers glances and
e might have squelched him quite
ickly by always going in the wait
: room instead of standing out pc
ere on the platform, but there was q
about this young man that W
t ideas of squelching TO rout. lie en-
such nice eyes, Kate told herself, Of
that seemed to make difference at
So when Kate went into the office da
Mr.. Tom Benton, on the errand ed
m Mrs. Granger, and found that 1t
ing man to be none other than the pu
e-eyed young man OF her platform boz
tation, she was Immediately put at ins
nething of a disadvantage In the bel
and she had to perform. ed
he felt indignant at first-indig-