Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-08-31
Patsy's Last
Assignment
By JANE OSBORN
observation-disclosures
(Copyrlghtl

TT WAS at one o'clock on Wednesday
afternoon that the managing editor
of the Star-Post told Patsy Pope to
| go after" Walton Hunt. At eleven
O'Clock Thursday evening Patsy Pope
was pacing up and down under the
shadows of the linden trees that lined
the driveway into the old Hunt man
sion-still going after" the heroic
Walton.
During the time that had inter
vened Patsy had caught exactly five
glimpses of Walton, once all surround
ed by a group of friends and relatives
at the station, later as he entered the
elevator of the Brlstor hotel, once the
sight OF his hat rising above the heads
of the mayor and his reception com.
mittee, once through the window of
the limousine when the taxi she had
hired to trail him drew alongside at
a traffic halt, and once as he was hur-
ried along by sisters and brother up
the avenue of linden trees into his
old home.
And all the time Patsy had eaten
exactly two ham sandwiches, one
soda cracker, four cups Of coffee. and
had sucked lollypop offered to her
by the young man who was trying to
get STORY" for the Record. They
had shared the same divan In the
BristOr hotel on Wednesday night I'M
til the hotel clerk had none too po-
litely asked them to get out And I'M
less Patsy had dozed a little as she
sat with the young reporter on the
divan she had had no sleep. For
time there had been quite a number
of reporters, though she was the only
girl among them, but one by one they
had fallen off. But Patsy had re-
manned on her job, and here she was
dragging one small foot after another
out under the linden trees that he'd
to the house where Walton was sup.
posedly slumbering.
The facts of the case had, of course,
all been duly splurged on the first
pages of the Star-POst and the other
| papers, but no one had been able to
get a single line of personal comment
| from the much-lauded young man.
There had been coal mine caye-in
in the northern part of the state.
| Twelve miners had been buried alive.
! Patsy was so drOwsy that she could
not recall the detalls-only somehow
this young Walton whose family for
tune had been made from the mines
had hit upon scheme of rescuing the
men-a bold, hazardous. crazy scheme
that offered one chance out of thou
sand of failure. And to give the
scheme test some one had to make
a descent and do something that might
bring liberation to the entOmbed min.
ers-and that almost certainly wOuld
bring destruction to the one that did
1t. And he did It.
Patsy Pope was rehearslng to her
self the leading remarks she would
make in case by any miracle she should
encounter the young hero. She would
have to trick him into some sort OF
| personal comment. But Patsy reflect
ed that girl who had been without
sleep as long as she had couldn't ex
/ pect to get very far. No telling when
he might appear-at least she could
powder her nose little. She leaned
up against one of the linden trees and
opened her bag-trled to get the little
vanity case. But the bag seemed In
credibly heavy and she couldn't make
her fingers lay hold OF the vanity
| case
Then Patsy was Just dimly con
sciOus OF the fact that the gravel on
the driveway was very rough. n she
only had a pillow It wouldn't be 5,
bad and then 1t didn't even seem IT,
matter about the pillow.
When II occurred to Patsy that she
might try to open her eyes and SEE
where she was she decided not a.
make the effort.
I'm sorry to disturb you" sale
the young man who appeared to b.
lifting her. II thought perhaps yOr
had tainted. came out for bit of
a strickland found you In the drive
way"
"Are you Mr.. Walton Hunt?' asked
Patsy, trying to get her bearings.
"Why yes" he said. "And perhaps
We might go up to the house while
| telephone to your people"
Inside the house Walton had hui
ried conversation with one OF his
sisters. 81 could drive her back to
her home tonight" he suggested
"YOu could" said his sister, "bur
the poor girl seems terribly exhaust
81. Il.
nice soft Of girl. | think we had bet
ter give her something to eat and then
let her stay here for the night H.
the morning she'll probably he able
to explain how she happened to be-
lying there in the driveway"
Two weeks later Patsy had "call
down" from the city editor.
"What's come over you, anyway
young LADY," he asked. Ever since
that time you went after that Walton
Hunt you've been loafing. You were
gone two days then and came In with
out line. I'd fire you right now II
| didn't think you'd snap out Of this
and get your old kick back again
And what's this | hear about you be.
ing seen having tea at the BristOr the
other afternoon with this Walton
birdI'
Patsy shrugged her shoulders and
pursed her lips.
"If that's the way you feel about
IT," threatened the city editor. per
haps I'd better lei you 60"
"rhank you" said Patsy, that
saves me the trouble Of reslgnlng
You see Mr. Walton Hunt and are
planning 10 he married nrxl week.