Prev | Current Page 311 | Next

Tarkington, Booth, 1869-1946

"The Gentleman from Indiana"

I owe him everything, even the shares in the oil company, which he
has persuaded me to take. And he is going to dare to make the 'Herald' a
daily. Do you remember asking me why I had never done that? It seemed
rather a venture to try to compete with the Rouen papers in offering State
and foreign news, but this young Gulliver has tacked onto the Associated
Press, and means to print a quarto--that's eight pages, you know--once a
week, Saturday, and a double sheet, four pages, on other mornings. The
daily venture begins next Monday."
"Will it succeed?"
"Oh, no!" he laughed.
"You think not?" Her interest in this dull business struck him as
astonishing, and yet in character with her as he had known her in
Plattville. Then he wondered unhappily if she thought that talking of the
"Herald" and learning things about the working of a country newspaper
would help her to understand Brainard Macauley.
"Why have you let him go on with it?" she asked. "I suppose you have
encouraged him?"
"Oh, yes, I encouraged him. The creature's recklessness fascinated me. A
dare-devil like that is always charming.'"
"You think there is no chance for the creature's succeeding with the
daily?"
"None," he replied indifferently.
"You mentioned work-baskets, I think?"
He laughed again. "I believe him to be the original wooden-nutmeg man.


Pages:
299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323