The Girl Who
Read the Proof
By Minnie W. Baines-Miller
(Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
The city editor was scratching away
for dear life, but he couldn't keep up
with the calls for copy from below. It
was one of those days when, to use
his own expression, everything was
“balled up” in the office. One of the
sub-reporters was sick, another was
attending the funeral of his father,
and a third was on the chase after a
sensational "scoop" that would turn
the other dailies green with envy, and
subject more than a few well-meaning
young men who failed to get there, to
editorial scoring. The young woman
who read the proof, and varied the
occupation by broadening her finger
tips on the keys of the typewriter,
after sneezing all the forenoon with
an incipient attack of the grippe, had
been excused and gone home.
The city editor himself was engaged
on a pertinent little “story” designed
to expose the boodling methods of the
opposite party in the Fifth ward.
There were certain appointed days
for these expositions, and this was
one of them. So, with hiB coat off and
his hair standing on end, a la porcu
pine quills, he was boning right down
to it, wishing he had, like Briareus, a
hundred hands to bring to the varied
duties of the hour, when the devil
came in with a handful of proof-slips,
and laid them on his desk.
This seemed to be the last straw
that broke the camel’s back. One woe
was certainly treading upon an
other’s heels, so fast they followed.
The city editor groaned, and followed
up the groan with that which despera
tion alone excused — a soliloquy.
“What in the thunder”—I am sorry
to be obliged to write it, but that
was what he said—“what in the thun
der am I to do with this proof?”
“Give it to me; I will read it,”
came an unexpected answer from be
hind him.”
The city editor jumped as if a bomb
had exploded in the rear of him, and
suddenly turned around. What his
astonished eyes beheld was a young
woman sitting at the desk back of
his own. She wore a big black hat
with “four and twrenty black birds,”
more or less, standing on their heads,
with wings extended and tails in air,
upon either side its crown. He fur
ther noticed, for, like most men,
the city editor was great on details
of dress, that she had on a silk shirt
wraist, “of some kind or other.” He
guessed at the wide skirt and tan
shoes below it.
“You? Who are you?” asked the
city editor, in extreme surprise, for
getting his manners, and scrutinizing
her “with a power of cool stare in his
eyes, equa.l to 4 brown stone fronts.”
Yet, surprised as he was, he couldn't
help noting the absurdity of the small
young face framed in the ugly style
of fashionably-parted hair, which
.causes a maiden in her teens to ap
pear as if, like Buddha, she might have
been 51 one times her own ancestor;
transforms the rosy curves of a Ve
nus into the severe lines of a Minerva.
“I?” She gave a musical little
laugh, and her serious countenance
relaxed. “I am a young woman in
search of something to live by . You
were so busy when I came in, I
didn't like to disturb you with in
quiries.”
“Humph!” ejaculated the city edit
or in that disagreeable tone denying
Fate has placed her patent on, and to
which the young woman took immedi
ate exception. For, alas, it is not
always that meekness is one of need's
distinctive qualifications.
“I'm sure,” said she, a little spirited
ly, “it is not the pleasantest thing in
the world to feel the need for doing
—much less to ask for work.” Her
voice faltered and came near breaking
on the end of the sentence. The blue
fire in her eyes seemed about to be
quenched in tears. Was she going to
cry? Good gracious! What was to
be done with her if she went to cry
ing? The city editor was a single
man and did not know what might be
the proper thing to do in such an
emergency.
"Well,” said he, a little ungracious
ly; “if you can read proof, go over
this;” and he bundled proof-sheets and
copy onto the desk before her, flee
ing for refuge back to the Fifth ward
boodling scheme.
He had succeeded in forgetting all
about the young woman behind him,
when her high clear voice broke in
upon his consciousness, saying: “Dear
me! I've forgotten how to make the
mark for transposing.”
| “Don't bother!” was the curt reply.
1 He was just ripping a councilman up
! the back, and was afraid some of his
vituperative adjectives might get
away.
“Sir?” was the indignant rejoinder,
in a tone crisp as celery and cold as
well-frozen sherbet. Hut the city ed
itor went on scratching, and paid no
attention.
nut, oy and n.v, when the corruption
had all been exposed, and the story
was complete, this terrible male rep
resentative of Nemesis, who shares
with her in this age the duty of chas
tising all offending malefactors, sub
sided into his proper person of meek,
gentlemanly young man, and in his
suavest tone addressed her, saying:
“Now, madam, what can I have the
pleasure of doing for you?” as he
turned on his swinging chair, in her
direction.
i But lo and behold! the black hat
and silk waist with the young woman
under and inside them, respectively,
had vanished.
| There were the proof-slips duly cor
rected; even the mark for transposing
was all O. K. If it had not been for
the pencil marks on these Blips, he
might have imagined the entire affair
only the astounding hallucination of
an over worked city editor’s brain.
Could she, after all, have been a female
Pixie? But no! He had never heard
of a Pixie with a whole nest of black
birds on his or her head. He con
cluded. upon reflection, that she must
be a genuine bona fide woman who
had gone away in a pet because he
was not sufficiently polite to her. And
that was where he hit the nail square
ly on the head.
Day after day went by, but she did
not come again; and as the city editor
went to and fro in the street or on
the trolley cars, it annoyed him to
i find himself peering anxiously into
the face of every young woman who
wore a big black hat. On more than
one occasion he had chased after
silk shirt waists that bore some gen
eral resemblance to his hazy idea of
what hers might have looked like, only
to discover that they were not the
one which he sought. What impelled
him to this search, or what would
have been the result had he found
her, he could not explain, even to him
self. Day after day the sick proof
reader and type-writer girl failed, as
the devil expressed it, to “show up.”
r
"If You Can Read Proof, Go Over
This”
Word reached the office that she was
down with pneumonia. Everybody
and nobody read the proof, and rival
papers perpetrated jokes over the
fearfully-and-wonderfully-made head
lines that got locked up in the forms
and came off the press. The editor
jn-chlef gave notice that “there would
be one vacant chair,” if this state of
affairs wasn't speedily remedied. Then,
| with a heart beating with mingled
hope and fear, the city editor insert
ed in the paper this "ad:”
i "PERSONAE.—If tilt* young lady In
1 Muck hat and silk shirt waist who read
proof for the city editor In the office of
I the -, two weeks ago last Monday aft
■ ornoon. will call at this office immediately,
she will heur something to her advan
tage.”
Next morning, the city editor looked
over his shoulder and saw her sitting
behind him as on a former occasion.
Although taken by surprise, and some
I what embarrassed, he lost no time in
laying before her the proposition he
was empowered to make. She accept
ed at once, and the contract was soon
closed; but not until he had re
venged himself upon her for some of
the follies she had. unconsciously, led
him to commit, by the following ma
licious catechisation: "Does tobacco
smoke make you sick?" "Do you
scream if you chance to see a mouse?”
j “Do you think it necessary to convert
all the reporters into a train of spe
cial admirers?" “Do you make en
gagements with your dressmaker to
take effect during office hours?”
She knew he was exceeding the lim
it of his inquisitorial duties designed
to determine her fitness for the place,
but she bore herself humbly, con
vinced of the certainty of future re
prisals.
“All things come ’round to him who
waits”—and her. When, a year after
ward, the editor-in-chief received an
uplift to a metropolitan journal and
the city editor was promoted to the
position he formerly occupied, he
made a second proposition to the
proof-reader, and this time, she did
the catechising: “Do you stay out
later at night than business strictly
requires?” “Do you come home
sober?” “Will you stop smoking
cigars and put the money in the sav
ings bank?” “Will you build the
kitchen fire?” “Shall you think it nec
essary to make invidious comparisons
between my cooking and your moth
er’s?” “And, last but not least, may
your mother-in-law live with us?”
To all these questions he gave sat
isfactory replies, adding as he kissed
her lips and prevented her from pro
pounding more: “If the proof isn’t
clean, yon shall be the one to cor
rect it, dear.”
i Number ef Chinese Abroad.
According to the latest Chinese of
i ficial investigation the total number
■ of Chinese in other countries is as fol
lows, not including the students:
Japan, 17,673; Russian Asia, 37,000;
Hongkong, 314,391; Slam, 2,765,609;
Burma, 134,560; Java, 1,825,700; Aus
tralia, 34,465; Europe, 1,760; Corea,
11,200; Formosa, 74,506; Malaysia, 1,.
023„500; Annam, 197,300; the Philip
pines, 83,785; Africa, 8,200; America,
272,829. Total 6,793,531.
The most majestic manner cannot
be maintained when its possessor is
obliged to sneeze.
The effect of malaria lasts a long time.
You catch cold easily or become run
down because of the after effects of malaria.
Strengthen yourself with Scott's
Emulsion.
It builds new blood and tones up your nervous
system.
ALL DRUGGISTS; 60c. AND $1.00.
We have decided to leave Newark in a short time, we
have a nice, new stock of Men’s, Boys an Coats
Clothing, Suits, Pants and a nice line of fine Ra
and Overcoats; also a complete stock of Shoes for a c
of trade; a nice, new stock of Mats, and, in fac , a
A Complete Stock of
General rierchandise, Which
WE MUST CLOSE OUT!
These goods must be turned into cash within the next sixty days, as we do
not want to have any of these goods moved. Come in and see us, and if price
is any inducement to you, we can certainly do business with you. M e are
offering some great bargain in Men’s Overcoats and Pants. Come in and look
over our stock.
We thank the many good people of Newark and surrounding country who
have given us their trade for the past six years, and while we have man.y good
friends and customers whom we hate to leave, yet, under the circumstances,we
feel that it is to our best interest to do as we are doing.
Again thanking you, we are Your Friends,
GRIFFITH & MORROW
All parties who are indebted to us by note or account will please come in
and settle, as we want to wind up our business at once.
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tIOfg.m,
iroRNERVt^OIL
| Cuts, sores, Burns|
&. Rheumatjsm Z-5<£
«!*•$* •$*-*{» 4* *1* 4*
+ +❖++<*+ 4*4* 4* 4*4* 4*4* + ++ 4*4* + 4* 4* + 4* 4*+4 4.4.4..{. .j. .». 4. 4. 4.4. 4.4. 4^4.4. 4*+ + + 4*4*+ +.{*+4.
ADAMS BROS.
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CottoQ aod Corn Buyers |
And Dealers in General Merchandise.
t*&~ To the haimers •—We want your produce, and will pay
you the highest market price in cash or trade.
Newark,.Arkansas
4MtM|M$*4.++++4«4.4*+4*4*+++++4 4.4*4*++ +4*+++++*>4*+4*+4*4*4*+4.+4*+4*+4*+++
Commercial Printing of All Kinds Neatly
1 and Promptly Done at The Journal Office
I
I
I
MUST ACCEPT COTTON
When Offered for Shipment Railroads
Must Issue Bill of Lading
Little Rock, Oct. 22.—The most im
portant decision of the supreme court
Monday was the case of the Iron
Mountain Railway company against
the state, from Izard county, which
was affirmed.
The railroad commission brought
suit in Izard county against the Iron
Mountain for failure to accept cotton
for shipment and give a bill of lading
for the same.
The railroad contended that there
was no room on the platform for stor
ing cotton. The lower court rendered
a verdict in favor of the state for a
penalty of three times the value of the
cotton, amounting to $1,500. The
railroad appealed to the supreme
court.
The case has attracted more than
ordinary attention as testing the
power of the railroad commission in
the premises.
, The case was one in which cotton
i was offered the company's agent at
j Calico Rock for shipment, when there
i wei‘e no cars and no place to store
j cotton, and he refused to accept the
| same and issue bill of lading
*
TWO CAR LOADS OF RICE
Lonoke, Oct. 18.—W. H. Fuller
shipped two carloads of rice this week
receiving about 00 cents per bushel
for this shipment. Mr. Fuller says
that he will average 80 bushels or more
to the acre on about 70 acres. The rice
crop will be large in this vicinity.
W. N. LEWIS
— Solicitor For —
Monuments,
Headstones,
and Tablets.
— Phone No. 41; 3 rings —
Newark, . . Arkansan
DR. IRA H. ERWIN
SPECIALIST
Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat
Rooms 8 and 9
Wishon Buildg
Newport,
Long Distance
Phone No 74-2
Arkansas
J QUALLS'
BOOT AND SHOE SHOP
Repair work of all kinds ^
Neatly and Promtly Done
There’s a Way
To defeat the mail order man’s
throat methods in this community.
The way is publicity for your business
it’s the same way he uses. Oux
wU1 your business the
publicity you need.