"How do you feel this morning, Mr. Anderson?" asked Ferguson.
"I feel weak and languid, and indisposed to exertion of any kind."
"You need some change."
"That is precisely what I have thought myself. The doctor advises
change of scene, and this very morning I had a letter from a brother
in Wisconsin, asking me to come out and visit him."
"I have no doubt it would do you good."
"So it would. But how can I go? I can't take the paper with me,"
said Mr. Andersen, rather despondently.
"No; but you can leave Harry to edit it in your absence."
"Mr. Ferguson!" exclaimed Harry, startled by the proposition.
"Harry as editor!" repeated Mr. Anderson.
"Yes; why not? He is a practised writer. For more than two years he
has written for two Boston papers."
"But he is so young. How old are you, Harry?" asked the editor.
"Nineteen to-day, sir."
"Nineteen. That's very young for an editor."
"Very true; but, after all, it isn't so much the age as the
qualifications, is it, Mr. Anderson?"
"True," said the editor, meditatively. "Harry, do you think you
could edit the paper for two or three months?"
"I think I could," said Harry, with modest confidence. His heart
beat high at the thought of the important position which was likely
to be opened to him; and plans of what he would do to make the paper
interesting already began to be formed in his mind.
Pages:
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203