THE MAN WHO HUNG ON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 49

THE MAN WHO HUNG ON.

(Lijipincott's Mpgazinc for Jane.)

The rattle of ihe Gazette's press was (he only sound in the long, one-storeyed brick structure occupied by its editorial and printing rooms. The half-grown boy who, with Jucßm himself, made up the 'stud' of the paper kept the press going steadily, a feat, learned by long practice, lie reached up one hand, shoved a sheet down to the guides, keeping the crank turning with his fool and the other hand, and the old machine rattled on like a skeleton flut toi in<r in tho wind. Beyond the partition, in a little square compartment dignified by tho name of office, though almost as b.ne and unsightly as the printing r<>ui«. sat Judson, proprietor and editor "of Ike Gazette, his elbows resting on the desk-lid, his face in his hands. There was a hopelessness in his attitude, a despairing stoop to his shoulders, which revealed, more than did the s!>>Unness of his apparel and of the little o/IV-t. :.\e depths to which he had come.

Judson had come out from iLf hast five years before, with all the hope and enthusiasm of a boundless ignorance of the conntry to which he journeyed to carve his fortune. In these five years he had gained quantities of experience, but the fortune had thus far proved elusive— very elusive indeed. He had put his faith in the then promising settlement of Bird City, and had started in to mould and guide public thought through the columns of the Gazette. « « *

Bird City was not even the centre of a " thriving farming country." Thriving farming sections are growing scarce in the West these years. Slowly at lirst, the population of the town decamped. It was a suggestively unfortunate name — Bird City ; it was

soon literally spreading its wings and migrating to other and more promising lands. . . . Judson felt the bitterness of the situation

more keenly than ever to-day. Finances were at their lowest possible ebb. He had been at wotk all night setting up the paper now on the rattling old press in tho other room. When the edition was off he should have- to tell Sawyer to go. The paper had not taken in a single subscription or a dollar for advertising in a fortnight. Judson's overcoat had bought the ink necessary to get out this present issue. The thought made him shiver as ho sat there before the desk, for the wind was beginning to blow chill across the prairie. The old press stopped its asthmatic rattle, and Sawyer brought In one of the damp sheets.

" She's getting warmed up now, an' the ' rag ' looks pretty well/ he said. " Why don't you ha\c a fire in here?" — "I'm not cold," returned Judson, reaching out a blue hand foi the paper.

Sawyer cibt a glance into the empty wood box, and said, as he went back into the printing room: "Better come in here. I'vo got a fire."

Judson spread the paper out upon the desk and looked at it. With all Mb poverty, the Gazette did not show it typographically. It made a far neater appearance than many more prosperous papers. The Gazette was not unknown among its contemporaiies, either. Its well-turned editorials and pointed paragraphs upon general matters were widely copied, sometimes with credit given, oftener without. Several city dailies were notably brighter editorially ihe day after the Gazette reached their offices.

He threw aside the paper at last and rose. At the farther end of the street was a man — one of the few merchants remaining in the town — who owed him a bill. He would try to collect it, and, if successful, could pay Sawyer and perhaps have a bit left. But he hesitated as a sudden puff of wind shook the loosened windows and swept in beneath the dooi ; he shrank from facing the blast. But the trip was necessary. The man would never come to him, and it was urgent that he should have the money. He folded up several exchanges and placed them across his chest, buttoning his coat tightly over them. One ne-ser realises how much protection from the cold a. newspaper i.v until he has tried this.But while ho still hesitated, tho dor suddenly swung open and a visitor entered. At a glance Judson saw that ho was not a resident of Bird City. He sat down, slipped the papers from under his coat, and assumed his most business-like air. "The wind is actually fierce today," said the stranger, smiling. He drew off his gloves and took the remaining chair in tho little office. " Does it ulwaj s blow this way in these parts? "— " It's apfc to at this season. What can I do for you?" inquired Judson. ' . "This is the office of the Gazcte, isn b it?"— " Yes." " You're the only paper in town.' — Wo certainly have that distinction. " ( The visitor glanced over the room. L guess you're no better off than most country papers, eh?" he suggested, frankly.— " Well, admitted Judson, "we are not exactly rich.' 1 " I've been through your town, said the other. "It's like a graveyard, isn't it?"— " Woll, at this time of year " " Yes, yes, I know. These boom towns always do slump. By the way "—he i leaned over and tapped the society pin on the lapel of Judson's shabby coat--" by the way,' we should know each other.' He displayed the same insignia upon his own waistcoat ; and they shook hands. The visitor offered Judson a cigar, and nothing further was said till they had " smoked up. ' "What college?" inquired the visitor, behind his blue cloud.— " Williams." "Y 1 don't mean it 1 . So'm I." They shook hands again. Judson smiled and pulled at the cigar luxuriously. 'I was in '89," he said. " That's so? I followed you out the next >ear Must have known you. They didn t tell me your name up town when I inquired for the office of the paper."— "lts Judson, said the proprietor of the Gazette. " Judson ! Not Mortimer Judson .' ci led the other.— "The very same." "By George! I'd never have known you. You must remember me. I was Stebbms, of '90 .... By the way, Im connected with the P.W. and N.M. My governor's president. I'm sort of an advance agent myself." . . , 'Judson stopped smoking. He looked across at the younger man ; there was something in his eyes Stebbins did no, understand. He plainly saw evidence of hard times" in the little office; but how hard these times were only the man who hung on knew. _. .„ "You see," said Stebbins, "the P.V. and N.M has finally decided to extend its branch. We've been quietly at work for some time, and ground is already broken between here and Racine. The route proposed before the boom has been abandoned. Folks wanted too much for their land. Noy/ we've bought up the land quietly and will have trains running next summer. Its a good thing you hung on, Judson. Has is your lot back here, I take it?" he added, glancing out of the window. "Well, it'll face the station. What I looked the^ paper up for is to advertise some titles. They re too late for this week, I suppose?" "We're running off the edition now, said Judson, weakly. "Well, no hurry. There'll be a good deal of this sort of stuff come your way. You treat us white and you'll lose nothing by it." , Judson sat up and breathed again. This is big news for Bird City," he said." It will be the making of it." " It'll be the making of your paper," said Stebbins, cheerfully. " I expected to put our work out mostly in Racine ; but of course an old college friend and a fellow of tha same society " " Thank you," said Judson, gravely, and he accepted the buudle of cony s*^i*»* drew from hie pockett, '

"'By the way," the railroad man added, " until we get this department in some kind of running order, you needn't look for payment through the usual red-tape channels. You figure up Ibis stuff now, and I'll pay , for it and get it oft' my mind." He drew a roll of notes from his pocket. 1 " As you please," said the other calmly, but he figured on the margin of the slips with trembling fingers. He went to tlie door a moment later, and bowed his visitor out. "I'll accept your invitation to dinner some other day," said Stebbins. "I shall be around here' most of the winter." Judson went back to his desk, and stared from the crisp bank-notes to the printed slips. Suddenly he called Sawyer. The clack of the press ceased, and his satellite appeared. " Sawyer," said the editor, with unshaken voice, "stop the press, and pull off the editorial page. We'ie going to issue an extra." j "A what?" gasped Sawyer. I "Yes, sir. And, by the way, Sawyer," ; pursued Judson, calmly, "here's what avo owe you to Saturday night. Be quick about that "form, please. I'll give you the first ' lake ' of copy in a few minutes." But after the wondering Sawyer departed, the man who hung on bowed his head, and the tears fell upon the printed slips and the bank-notes strewn over the desk-lid. '