HIGGLES' SPEECH.
Griggs was washing himself, und was
hi a hurry. The telegraph had run
heavy all uftornoon; unusually hoavy.
"Nothing sturtling," Griggs nuid, whon
Hie editor asked him bow the wires were
working, "only the news seems to pour
hi from all quartern." Griggs was glad
when supper time came. He had an on
gaguinent that evening and anticipated
pleasure.
Suddenly a oluuigo came ovor Griggs'
face. His hands, dipped into the water
to luve his face and neck, were with
drawn suddenly and placed on the edge
ef the huBiu, us he listened to the voice
of tlio editor, who was standing at
Urigg's desk.
"Are yon there, Griggs? Here's a dis
patch from Ground Bog's Glory. From
Higgles. On his way to Pompoy Smash.
Look here a moment, Griggs."
Griggs matched at the towel, dried
himself as he approached his room and
faced the editor.
"Griggs, tliis is of the very first im
portance," Griggs' muimor indicated oarnest at
tention. "1 may toll you in confidence. Griggs
that Higgles' speech must go in to
night. No matter what else is crowded
out, on no account must .you permit
Higgles' sieech to be abbreviated by bo
much as a line. 1 would remain my
self, but 1 buve an engagement that
tan't be broken us iniportunt, in fact,
as tills sieeoh of Higgles', which is the
turning point in the cunvasB for tho dis
trict. A change of forty or fifty votes
yes, twenty at Pompoy Smash, will
elect or defeat hini. Griggs, 1 predict
It will make Higgles."
"All right," said Griggs as the editor
left his room. Be was putting on his
coat whon Simmott returned.
"Put a good bond on it. Griggs some
thing that will catch the eye. " Simmott
was moving away the second time when
be halted, turned back, and dropping his
voice said: "1 may as well tell yon. It
will be known scum anyhow. Higgles'
election means a good deal, a vast deal,
tome. So keep a sharp lookout. See
that the speech goes in all right no mis
lakes or ridiculous errors."
"All right," said Griggs. Be glanced
at tlio dispatch Simmott had laid ou his
desk as the editor aud proprietor of The
Horning Stur hastened awuy. Then he
whistled up to the composing room and
inquired if Daggs was there. Duggs was
thero, and hi answer to Griggs' request
hurried down, as by previous agreement.
"See here. Daggs; we've a dispatch
from Higgles. Be has ordered us to
print his speech the speech he will
make at Pompoy Smash this evening.
Hore it is." Griggs pulled a drawer
out, brought out three proof Blips and
banded them to Daggs. "Mow, as you
re going to run this tiling tonight for
me, 1 want you to be sine there are no
errors in it. 1 guesa I'd best crock a
head on it for you before 1 go the main
thing is to see that it goes in. That is
Bimmott's imperative orders. No mat
ter what is left out if the president dies
you mustn't leave Miggles' speech out.
I'm sorry it so happens I must be off to
night, but it's all plain sailing. You've
nm my desk of ton enough to kuow just
what to do. That's all, Duggs. I'll send
the bead up tuke the speech and give it
to the foreman to get in hand at once."
When Daggs withdrew, Griggs sat
down, dashed off a few lines, looked at
tiem, wliirled them up the elevator and
went out. He wus engaged; was to be
.married in a fortnight, aud as a matter
of course dismissed Tho Horning Stur,
Higgles and hia speech from hia mind
before he reached the corner. What
young mun would not who was on his
way to his supper, with the certainty of
enjoying an evening with his aflianced
at tlio theater?
"See here, Burton," said Daggs, as he
re-entered the composing room hastily,
"Griggs gave me imperative orders
bum Simmott to get this in hand at
once. Boat run it out hint thing. Hind
no matter what else is left out Mig
les' speech goes in."
"All right," answered fiurtou. The
loreinan took the proof slips, clipped
them up into twenty-one pieces, lit a
fresh cigar, and inside of ten minutes
Higgles' speech was in the hands of
twenty-one printers. The foreman was
tnjoying a minute's rest, when a whistle
disturbed him. He rose and answered
thecal). '
"That you, Burton?"
"Yob what's wanted?"
"It's me," said a voioe from the count
ing room. "In a hurry going out of
town a few miles unexpectedly won't
be back. Get Griggs to look after things
for me. Ta-tal
"AU right," Burton answered, in bliss
ful ignorance of the arrangement Griggs
bad made with Daggs.
Almost ut the same moment the night
lark, who was in the rear of the busi
ness office, was calling by the telephone;
"Hello, there, Star office!"
"Well," said the clerk, fumbling for
his pencil, and making ready for a now
advertisement.
"That you, Bakor?"
"Yob, sir."
It was the proprietor's voice. Be hod
popped into a drug store to speak to the
night editor.
"Parker therel"
"No, sir."
"Well, tell him when he comes to see
Griggs at once. Do you hear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Have given Griggs special orders.
Tell him. Got that?"
Yes. ir. To tell Hr. Parker you've
given special orders to Hr. Griggs, and
for Mr.i Purker to be B.ii'e and see
Griggs."
"That's all.
The night clerk went to l is desk and
was soon immersed in his l.Uors. In the
upper story of The Star establishment
the foreman was discussing in a desul
tory way Bigger's chances against Hig
gles' for the congressional plum."
What sort of a place is Pompoy
Smash, anyhow, Duggs? Ever been
there?"
No; but Griggs has. There's a lot
of moss backed DomocratB over there
the sort that vote for Jackson and Van
Buron, and opposite there is another lot
of Btraight laced, stiff backed Presbyte
rions nosurrtmder writtei. all over em."
"Anything in thiaspeeoh of MigglesT
"Blest if I know."
"What's the point what makes him
go out to Pompey Smash to fire off?"
Ohl Why, it s a mighty close vote.
you know. As near as 1 can make out.
the idea is to tickle the people there to
honor them with the opening speech to
have the people talk abont the speech
Higgles made at Pompey Smash. A
hundred votes, one wuy or the other,
will settle it; everybody knows that"
"1 see, said the foreman.
Then he turned around, and lifting
his voice said in tones that could be
heard by all in the composing room:
"Boys, pull out on Higgles speech. I
want to got it in eurly."
Then there was silence in the compos
ing room.
The wires worked well that night
The night was a repetition of the day.
DaggB was up to his eyes in nows from
all quarters. "Nothing stunning," as he
called up to the foreman: "just a steady
glut of slush from all sources that could
be chopped off any place and never be
mimed.
When a newspaper office is in order it's
surprising how smoothly everything
runs. The Horning Star was run on a
sound system: so thorough that although
the proprietor and editor, business man
agor and telegraph editor were absent
tbey did not seem to be missed.
Along about 2 o'clock in the morning
Daggs thought he would run up stairs
once more and see how tho speech looked
in type.
"Looking for Miggles speech asked
the foreman. "There it is three col-
nms."
Daggs glanced over the form. It was
all right
'Yon read the proof 1 sent it down
to you or, rather, the revise.
'1 looked at it 1 guess it's all right,'
and Daggs returned to hiB desk, whist
ling.
Just then a messenger laid a fresh dis
patch on his table. Daggs glanced at
the clock. "Two hfteon." He handed
the boy back his book after acknowledg
ing the receipt of the message, and be
gan to whistle again as he tore it open.
Daggs hps retained their position, but
no sound escaped them. The message
was from Pompey Smash, and contained
four words:
"Don't print Higgles' speech."
Duggs was dumfounded. He rushed
to the pipe: he was going to call to the
foreman, when he bethought himself.
He turned the dispatch up to the light.
It was tiled at 8:30. What did it mean:
There was an initial appended what it
wait he could not make out. Possibly i,
was a ruse a trick of the opposition.
Be run up stairs aud kud the mysteri
ous message down before the foreman.
"What do you think of that, Burton?"
"1 don't think anything. There's only
one meaning it says plainly, 'Don't print
Higgles' speech:' and here we are print
ing it.
"Well, but Griggs' orders were to
print it. W hat made Simmott be so par
ticular about this speech? Why, he must
have suspected a triok. Anyhow my
orders are imperative.
"Take my advice no, I'll have to con
sult Parker. He's night editor, and he
is the man to decide.
The foreman whistled to the counting
room:
"Mr. Parker there? Send him up at
once.
"Not here."
"Where is her
"Hasn't been here tonight. Thought
he was up there.
"Do you kuow anything about this
speech of Higgles , Baker?"
"No; never heard of it"
"Look around see if there's a note or
message there for me anybodyf"
A minute elapsed.
"Nothing here." ,
"Here's a pretty kettle of fish," said
the foreman, turning to Daggs. "What
am I to do. You've got precious little
time to decide. In or out which is it?
I can chuck the form full of miscellany
and stuff lying over here in or out'r
"Obey orders if we break the owner'
said Daggs, with Napoleonlike decision.
Ten minutes later the forms were in
the cellar, and twenty minutes after
that Miggles' speeches were thrown out
on the folders by hundreds. Daggs went
down to the pressroom, brought up a
handful of papers, returned to the com
posing room and laid them down before
Burton.
"Looks all right, Burton."
The foreman picked the paper up,
held it in hiB band a moment, glancing
over it with a ontical eye, then laid it
down.
"A pretty good first page. The head
looks first rate. You can pop a head on
with Griggs, Duggs."
I "It's Griggs'. 'Taint mine,''
A footstep sounded near. It was
flit-f i.
"1, -in fact, l-was dotainod later than
expected, Daggs, so just stepped around
to see how you were getting on. That
lontounded speech of Miggles has run
in my mind all night."
"Nothing elsef
Burton and Daggs laughed.
"Oh, 1 see it's in all right"
"What's that, Griggs?"
It was the night editor.
I got back earlier than I expected, and
run up to see if everything is right
What's this?"
Higgles' speech, delivered over at
Pompey Smash. Mr. Simmott gave me
spocial orders to get it in tonight"
Griggs hold a paper np and read:
5JIPI ZtPII ZIPIII
rtOBT BALL Or TBS CON0RK8S1ONAL OAMPAfOS
BUT IN MOTION SV TUB HANI) OF
ALONiSO ADOI.PHU8 MIQG1,E&
POMPSV SMASH IN A BLAHR OP tTNPAflAL
LKLICD KNTHUSt ASM.
A Masterly aud Lucid Analysis of the Momen
tous Question involved in the Issue of
the Seventy-seventh District
"Beads all right, Griggs." said Parker,
but if 1 had been hore I'd have left that
'and' out. If it was masterly, of course
it must have been 'lucid' seer
"No, 1 don't see," said Griggs.
IVe"
What Griggs was going to say is lost
to the world, for at that moment Editor
Simmott looked over their shoulders.
"What is it. Parker?"
His gaze was riveted double riveted,
in fact on The Horning Star. His eyes
were held by the type as the poor bird is
said to be fascinated by the snake before
it devours it. Then he slowly lifted Mb
hands. His mouth opened but no words
came from it. His emotions overpowered
him, rendered him speechless. Then
there was a sound like the cracking of
heavy paper, and the torrent came. For
at least two minutes and a half possi
bly a second more not one of his auditors
knew what Simmott said.
Then the blizzard of adjectives les
sened to a gale, from a gale to a spank
ing breeze, from a steady breeze to the
gust that tosses the leaves between the
fitful raindrops.
DidnT; you get my message, Parkerr
1 was not here; was away all night"
You yon got it, Griggs?"
'No, sir. -1 was off, too I got Daggs
to run my desk."
Simmott groaned. DaggB looked like
a boy caught in the act of stealing a
melon.
"Did you get my message. Daggs?"
"Yes, sir: but"
"Stopl I won't hear a word." said Sim
mott
YeB, you will, Mr. Simmott." Baid
Griggs, with a white face but resolute
eye. "Your orders were imperative. I
told Daggs so. No matter what came,
he was to print Miggles' Bpeech."
The calm that ensued was much more
impressive and disagreeable than the
buzzard that preceded it
"Let me see the message."
Daggs brought it out, and Simmott
turned it over in an ahsentminded way
in his hand.
"What is wrong, Mr. Simmott?"
The editor gave the night editor one
glance. It spoke volumes.
'Nothing nothing only Miggles was
delayed; did not get to Pompey Smash
at all. Consequently he did not make a
speech. His cousin, Bill Carruthers,
met me and told me he telegraphed us
not to print. This will defeat him. The
papers will never let up on it The peo
ple at Pompey Smash will never forgive
Miggles tor making them ridiculous.
Us bad enough to assume that his bal
derdash could influence them or turn a
vote. It's worse to palm off a Bpeech on
the public he uever made at Pompey
Smash or anywhere else. Miggles is
ruined now and forever."
It was true. A hundred Horning
Stars were flying to Pompey Smash with
Higgles great effort as the editor spoke.
There was war along the line for
thrice ten days. Not a man in Pompey
Smash voted for Miggles. There was
war in The Morning Star office, but
peace came over it speedily and calmed
the disturbed elements like a dose of
soothing sirup.
The editor. Parker, Gnggs every
body had the good sense to see and ac
knowledge it was a concatenation of
circumstances unavoidable in the best
regulated families, and today, when
anything whimsical or humorous stirs
The Star, Simmott or Parker or Griggs,
his partners, will refer to "Miggles'
Great Effort." David Lowry in Pitts
burg Bulletin.
One Form of Marriage Ceremony.
The following is a southwestern Mis
souri form qf marriage ceremony: "By
the authority vested in me as a squire in
the state of Missouri; by the golden fields
of corn aud wheat that wave to and from
the gentle summer breeze; by the great
droves of stock that are continually find
ing their way to the different markets of
the world; by the monotonous song of
the cat on the backyard fence, and by
the pumpkin vine whose climbing ten
drils shade the entrance of a summer
kitchen; by the whole earth and sea and
all that is in them, I pronounce you man
and wife, and may the Lord have mercy
on your souls." Yankee Blade.
A Whit Ifegr.
One of the strangest wonders in the
way of a man that we have been per
mitted to see was in town recently, and
is a citizen of this county. He is Eb
enezer Long, and was born, black, in
Georgia sixty years ago. He is now per
fectly fair, except a few dark spots that
may be discovered by looking at htm
floeelv. Hananua (Flu.) Times.
THE THREE WISHES.
Once to a man a goblin came
And said to him: "If yon will name
Three wishes, whauwe'er they be,
They shall bo granted instantly.
Think of three things you deem the best
Express your wish 'we do tlie rest.' "
"O goblin!" oriod the man, "Indeed
You're just the kind of friend I need.
Hunger and want I've known thus far.
1 fain would learn what riohes are."
"Then," cried the goblin, "learn it well
Kiches are title deeds to hell
. Now wish again."
"Alaokadayt"
Exclaimed the man. "I've thrown away,
And ail for naught, a chance immense.
1 only wish 1 had some sense!"
The goblin waved his wandthe dunce
To his surprise was wise for once.
And being wise, he laughed and said.
"I am a fool would I were dead!"
"Granted!" the goblin yelled. "It's plain
You'll never be so wise again."
Oliver Herf ord in Life.
Verdi's Lack of Self Assertion.
On the occasion of the first presen
tation of his last opera so devoid was
Verdi of all self assertion that he
even expressed his regret that so
vast a concourse of strangers should
have taken the trouble to come from
all parts of Europe for the premiere
and declared that he preferred the
days of his earlier career, when his
operas were accepted or rejected on
their merits alone, and when the test
was independent of any consider
ations of personal popularity. A
glance at his honest eyes was enough
to satisfy the hearer that these were
his true convictions and no affecta
tions of humility.
Such men are at all times rare, but
living as Verdi does at a moment
when the younger Italian school,
which he has so long fostered almost
single handed, is rapidly coming to
the fore and is reaching an impor
tant crisis of its development his in
fluence for good cannot possibly be
overrated, nor can it fail to be pro
ductive of the highest results. Fort
nightly Review.
Detecting Guilt In Liberia.
The brown skins of the natives in
Liberia are often daubed with red
and white clay, the effect of the latter
being rather startling. This is called
dressing. Sometimes a vertical blue
mark is seen across the forehand.
This is a sign of freedom. The Kroo
men have it more than others. They
are largely employed as extra hands
on the steamers. When a man is
suspected of murder, theft, etc., he
is made to drink "sasce wood." This
being deadly poison, his innocence
ib declared by the draft not prov
ing fatal. I am told, however, that
this is only a form. When the fatal
moment arrives, some expedient is
generally adopted, or else it is con
sidered that only an innocent man
would be willing to approach the
deadly draft Cor. Goldthwaite's
Magazine.
A Hint to the Ladle,
A real estate gentleman, who is
also a Sunday school superintendent,
was trying to sell a lady a lot in
town, notwithstanding she wanted to
buy one in the suburbs.
But, my dear madam," he urged,
"a woman is practically forbidden by
the Scriptures from owning subur
ban property.
"1 don't see what the Scripture.
have to do with it," she protested.
That s because you are not con
versant with them," he said. "Don't
you know of the lady who had a Lot
in Sodom and as soon as she went in
to the suburbs was changed into a
pillar of salt?" Detroit Free Press.
.All He Gould Do.
A man noted for his quarrelsome
disposition and love for the ardent
came into the postoffiee a few days
ago and said, "Ed, have you any of
the new Columbian stamps? Yep.
Want any?" "Yep." He looked at
them a few minutes and threw them
back, saying, "Don't want 'em."
"Why?" "W-e-1-1, 'twixt the old
woman, boys and sohoolteacher, I've
got about all I can lick." Billings
Gazette.
Andrew Carnegie's Shooting Ground.
The shootings at Ouny castle,
which Andrew Carnegie hag rented
from ClunyMacpherson, extend over
12, 000 acres and afford excellent sport.
The old castle, in which Sir Robert
Peel lived at the beginning of the
century, has been altered and en
larged. Chicago Herald.
Near Liskeard in Cornwall is a
strange natural phenomenon. A pile
of rock 32 feet high, shaped like a
top, is balanced on the smaller end.
It is quite immovable, though appar
ently a very slight effort would! upset
its equilibrium.
It is said that when Benjamin
Franklin proposed to start a news
paper his mother tried to dissuade
him from it because she said there
were already two papers in America,
and there was no room for another.
A vocabulary is not gained in a day
or a week. It is the slow accretion of
many days, the development of many
weeks. ,
SUNDAY MORNINQ OCCUPATION.
What Some Girls Do to While Away MM
Time on til Seventh Day.
What do girls do Sunday morn
ings! Mow do they spend their time?
In church? Yes, they go to church
if they have nice gowns and are feel
ing in the mood or if they are nat
urally good. But I went around the
other Sunday morning to see some
of my girl friends, and I had my eyes
opened to a thing or two. The first
place I stopped was Madge's board
ing house. She is the head stenogra
pher for Brown jones & Co., you
know, and when I reached the inner
vestibule I heard her call: "Is that
you, Mag? I thought I recognized
your voice. Come right up, dear.
I'm busy." So up I went to her lit
tle 4 by 6 room, with its folding bed,
Japanese screen and other conceal
ing, folding and adjustable articles
common only to a boarding house
hall bedroom. A strong odor of gaso
line and Madge in a faded Mother
Hubbard wrapper greeted me. The
room was so full of fumes that I
gasped.
"I'm cleaning my gloves," ex
plained Margaret, and her appear
ance showed it Her brown curls
were all on edge "tousled" would
be the right word. White gloves, tan
gloves, gray gloves, mauve gloves,
all were spread out on the chairs and
bureau in various stages of wet and
dry cleaning. A pair of white gloves,
full length mousquetaires, covered
her hands and plump arms, and she
was manipulating a tin basin of gas
oline, several rags and a nailbrush
to clean them. Her roommate, Grace,
was perched on a stool sewing but
tons on her shoes and interspersing
that occupation with stirring and
beating a jar of cold cream which ,
had been brought up from the kitch
en a few moments before. Grace
said pathetically, "It simply will not
get white, no matter how hard I stir
it I must have got too much sperm
aceti in it. J
"Grace thinks it's going to cure
her freckles." sniffed Madge scorn-
fully, and she opened the window a
little wider, observing that I was al
most overcome by gasoline fumes.
"Young ladies," said I sternly,
"this is a wicked way to spend the
Sabbath."
"Well," responded Madge, "Sun
day is the only day I have to repair
my wardrobe. ,1 can't afford the
time any week day. I have to work
then, and if 1 stay home in the even
ing I'm too tired to clean and mend
and sew. When I've been at work -J
all day, I don't feel like coming
home and goiug to work again after
dinner, so I must fix my clothes Sun
days." i
When I left, Madge had finished
the gloves and had dumped the en
tire contents of her top bureau
drawer out on the floor preparatory
to a good "straightening up." I
know what that means, sol nod. .
Chicago News-Record.
The Growth of th Canning Industry.
Less than 50 years ago a man in
Pennsylvania began putting up toma
toes in cans at 50 cents a can. Iu
1887 the total output reached 72,000.
000 cans, and today it is 82,808,000
cans, of which considerably over half
are put up in the south, Maryland be
ing the largest producer. The pro
duction of canned corn has reached
84.000,000 cans, but in this branch the
south is not so large a producer as it
should be, New York ranking first in
production and Maine second.
Tomatoes aud corn lead, but nearly
everything else eatable is canned.
and not only is the home demand of
the United States supplied, but we
exported in 1892 over $17,000,000 of
canned goods. New Orleans Times
Democrat. Counting Gold Coin.
The counting of the money in the
vaults of the treasury at Washington
is not so troublesome or tedious a task
as might be imagined. In counting
(20 gold pieces experience has shown
them to be so uniform that only one
pile is counted, and the rest of the
money is stacked and measured by
this pile until the last pile is reached,
when that also is counted. In this
way the counting proceeds rapidly.
Gold in smaller denominations is al
ways counted or weighed. Silver is
much more troublesome to count than
gold. New York Tribune.
Taking th Circus Seriously.
If the circus is to be taken serious
ly, what an era of dullness will fol
low. In a certain southern state
bill has been introduced into the leg
islature by the provisions of which
circus companies are to be forbidden
in that state to exhibit pictures of
feats which they do not perform.
New York Ledger. ;
The rain is playing its soft, pleas
ant tune fitfully on the skylight, and
the shade of the fast flying clouds
passes with delicate change across
my book. -N. P. Willis.