CHAPTER XXXIII.
AN UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL.
During his temporary editorship, Harry did not feel at liberty tomake any decided changes in the character or arrangement of thepaper; but he was ambitious to improve it, as far as he was able, inits different departments. Mr. Anderson had become rather indolentin the collection of local news, merely publishing such items as werevoluntarily contributed. Harry, after his day's work was over, madea little tour of the village, gathering any news that he thoughtwould be of interest to the public. Moreover he made arrangements toobtain news of a similar nature from neighboring villages, and theresult was, that in the course of a month he made the "Gazette" muchmore readable.
"Really, the 'Gazette' gives a good deal more news than it used to,"was a common remark.
It was probably in consequence of this improvement that newsubscriptions began to come in, not from Centreville alone, but fromtowns in the neighborhood. This gratified and encouraged Harry, whonow felt that he was on the right tack.
There was another department to which he devoted considerableattention. This was a condensed summary of news from all parts ofthe world, giving the preference and the largest space, of course, toAmerican news. He aimed to supply those who did not take a dailypaper with a brief record of events, such as they would not belikely, otherwise, to hear of. Of course all this work added to hislabors as compositor; and his occasional sketches for Boston papersabsorbed a large share of his time. Indeed, he had very little leftat his disposal for rest and recreation.
"I am afraid you are working too hard, Harry," said Ferguson. "Youare doing Mr. Anderson's work better than he ever did it, and yourown too."
"I enjoy it," said Harry. "I work hard I know, but I feel paid bythe satisfaction of finding that my labors are appreciated."
"When Mr. Anderson gets back, he will find it necessary to employ youas assistant editor, for it won't do to let the paper get back to itsformer dulness."
"I will accept," said Harry, "if he makes the offer. I feel more andmore that I must be an editor."
"You are certainly showing yourself competent for the position."
"I have only made a beginning," said our hero, modestly. "In time Ithink I could make a satisfactory paper."
One day, about two months after Mr. Anderson's departure, Fergusonand Harry were surprised, and not altogether agreeably, by theentrance of John Clapp and Luke Harrison. They looked far fromprosperous. In fact, both of them were decidedly seedy. Going Westhad not effected an improvement in their fortunes.
"Is that you, Clapp?" asked Ferguson. "Where did you come from?"
"From St. Louis."
"Then you didn't feel inclined to stay there?"
"Not I. It's a beastly place. I came near starving."
Clapp would have found any place beastly where a fair day's work wasrequired for fair wages, and my young readers in St. Louis,therefore, need not heed his disparaging remarks.
"How was it with you, Luke?" asked Harry. "Do you like the West nobetter than Clapp?"
"You don't catch me out there again," said Luke. "It isn't what it'scracked up to be. We had the hardest work in getting money enough toget us back."
As Luke did not mention the kind of hard work by which the money wasobtained, I may state here that an evening's luck at the faro tablehad supplied them with money enough to pay the fare to Boston byrailway; otherwise another year might have found them still in St.Louis.
"Hard work doesn't suit your constitution, does it?" said Ferguson,slyly.
"I can work as well as anybody," said Luke; "but I haven't had theluck of some people."
"You were lucky enough to have your fare paid to the West for you."
"Yes, and when we got there, the rascal left us to shift forourselves. That aint much luck."
"I've always had to shift for myself, and always expect to," was thereply.
"Oh, you're a model!" sneered Clapp. "You always were as sober andsteady as a deacon. I wonder they didn't make you one."
"And Walton there is one of the same sort," said Luke. "I say,Harry, it was real mean in you not to send me the money I wrote for.You hadn't it, had you?"
"Yes," said Harry, firmly; "but I worked hard for it, and I didn'tfeel like giving it away."
"Who asked you to give it away? I only wanted to borrow it."
"That's the same thing--with you. You were not likely to repay itagain."
"Do you mean to insult me?" blustered Luke.
"No, I never insult anybody. I only tell the truth. You know, LukeHarrison, whether I have reason for what I say."
"I wouldn't leave a friend to suffer when I had plenty of money in mypocket," said Luke, with an injured air. "If you had been adifferent sort of fellow I would have asked you for five dollars tokeep me along till I can get work. I've come back with emptypockets."
"I'll lend you five dollars if you need it," said Harry, who judgedfrom Luke's appearance that he told the truth.
"Will you?" said Luke, brightening up. "That's a good fellow. I'llpay you just as soon as I can."
Harry did not place much reliance on this assurance; but he felt thathe could afford the loss of five dollars, if loss it should prove,and it might prevent Luke's obtaining the money in a morequestionable way.
"Where's Mr. Anderson?" asked Clapp, looking round the office.
"He's been in Michigan for a couple of months."
"You don't say so! Why, who runs the paper?"
"Ferguson and I," said Harry.
"I mean who edits it?"
"Harry does that," said his fellow-workman.
"Whew!" ejaculated Clapp, in surprise. "Why, but two years ago youwas only a printer's devil!"
"He's risen from the ranks," said Ferguson, "and I can say with truththat the 'Gazette' has never been better than since it has been underhis charge."
"How much does old Anderson pay you for taking his place?" askedLuke, who was quite as much surprised as Clapp.
"I don't ask anything extra. He pays me fifteen dollars a week ascompositor."
"You're doing well," said Luke, enviously. "Got a big pile of moneylaid up, haven't you?"
"I have something in the bank."
"Harry writes stories for the Boston papers, also," said Ferguson."He makes a hundred or two that way."
"Some folks are born to luck," said Clapp, discontentedly. "Here amI, six or eight years older, out of a place, and without a cent tofall back upon. I wish I was one of your lucky ones."
"You might have had a few hundred dollars, at any rate," saidFerguson, "if you hadn't chosen to spend all your money when you wereearning good wages."
"A man must have a little enjoyment. We can't drudge all the time."
"It's better to do that than to be where you are now."
But Clapp was not to be convinced that he was himself to blame forhis present disagreeable position. He laid the blame on fortune,like thousands of others. He could not see that Harry's good luckwas the legitimate consequence of industry and frugality.
After a while the two left the office. They decided to seek theirold boarding-house, and remain there for a week, waiting forsomething to turn up.
The next day Harry received the following letter from Mr. Anderson:--
"DEAR WALTON: My brother urges me to settle permanently at the West.I am offered a partnership in a paper in this vicinity, and my healthhas much improved here. The West seems the place for me. My onlyembarrassment is the paper. If I could dispose of the 'Gazette' fortwo thousand dollars cash, I could see my way clear to remove. Whycan't you and Ferguson buy it? The numbers which you have sent meshow that you are quite capable of filling the post of editor; andyou and Ferguson can do the mechanical part. I think it will be agood chance for you. Write me at once whether there us anylikelihood of your purchasing.
"Your friend, "JOTHAM ANDERSON."
Harry's face flushed eagerly as he read this letter, Nothing wouldsuit him bette
r than to make this arrangement, if only he couldprovide the purchase money. But this was likely to present adifficulty.