left the paper to me, and I started to go broke, Mr. Jones appeared and decided to help me out."
"To help you out?"
"Yeah, All this news is his work. Before he's done he'll send the whole world off its rocker, just so I can get subscriptions."
She'd stopped taking it down a long time ago.
"I'd think you were a damned liar, Mr. Lewis-"
"Call me Dick."
"-if I hadn't seen the Queen Mary sitting out there. Frankly, Mr. Lew-Dick, if you're telling the truth, something's got to be done."
"You're darn right it does, Elissa. But what? The old boy is having too much fun now to be stopped. He told me himself that he hasn't had anything to do like this for centuries."
"Besides," she said, "how did I get here so quickly? The ship was discovered only this morning, yet I can't remember-"
"Oh, don't worry about it, kid. From now on anything is likely to happen."
Something did. I went over and kissed her, for no apparent reason except that she was a pretty girl and I was feeling rotten. She didn't seem to mind.
Right on cue, the doorbell rang.
"Who is it?" I shouted.
"We're from the Associated Press. We want to see Mr. Richard Lewis," came a couple of voices. I could hear more footsteps coming up the front porch.
"I'm sorry," I called, "he's just come down with Yellow Fever. He can't see anybody."
But it wasn't any use. More and more steps and voices, and I could see the door being pushed inward, I grabbed Elissa's hand and we ran out the back way, ran all the way to the office.
Strangely, there weren't many people around. We walked in, and there, of course, was Mr. Jones at the typewriter. He looked up, saw Elissa and winked at me.
"Listen to this, boy. BANK PRESIDENT'S WIFE CLAIMS DIVORCE-EXPLAINS CAUGHT HUSBAND TRIFLING WITH THREE MERMAIDS IN BATHTUB. 'course, it's rather long, but I think we can squeeze it in. Well, well, who have you there?"
I couldn't think of anything else, so I introduced Elissa.
"Ah, from the Mirror! I got you down here this morning, didn't I?"
Elissa looked at me and I could tell she didn't think I had been trying to fool her.
"Have you turned in your report yet, Miss?"
She shook her head.
"Well, do so immediately! Why do you think I took the trouble of sending you in the first place? Never mind, I'll attend to it. Oh, we're terribly busy here. But a shapely lass like you shouldn't have to work for a living, now should she, Dick?"
And with this, Jones nudged Elissa with his cane, in a spot which caused me to say:
"Now see here Jones-this is going too far! Do that again and I'll punch you in the snoot."
"I must say, Richard, you're just like your father. Don't lose a minute, do you!" I reached out to grab him, but the second afterwards he was over on the other side of the room.
"Tut tut, m'boy, not a very nice way to treat your benefactor! Look at that basket there ."
I looked and so did Elissa. She looked long and hard. The room was full of money and checks, and Mr. Jones danced over with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Bet a couple could take just what's there and live comfortably for a year on it. That is, if they were sure there would be more to come."
He sidled over to Elissa and nudged her again, and I started swinging. Before I landed on my face, a thought came to me. It was a desperate, long-odds, crazy thought, but it seemed the answer to everything.
"Tell you what, Jones," I said, picking myself up off the floor and placing Elissa behind me. "This is a little silly after all. I think you're right. I think I've acted in a very ungrateful fashion and I want to apologize. The Courier is really selling now, and it appears that it'll make me a lot of money. All thanks to you. I'm really sorry."
He put the chair down and seemed pleased.
"Now then, that's more like it, Dick. And, er, I apologize, young lady. I was only being devilish."
Elissa was a sophisticated girl: she didn't open her mouth.
"I can see that you're busy, Mr. Jones, so if you don't mind, Elissa and I will take
"To help you out?"
"Yeah, All this news is his work. Before he's done he'll send the whole world off its rocker, just so I can get subscriptions."
She'd stopped taking it down a long time ago.
"I'd think you were a damned liar, Mr. Lewis-"
"Call me Dick."
"-if I hadn't seen the Queen Mary sitting out there. Frankly, Mr. Lew-Dick, if you're telling the truth, something's got to be done."
"You're darn right it does, Elissa. But what? The old boy is having too much fun now to be stopped. He told me himself that he hasn't had anything to do like this for centuries."
"Besides," she said, "how did I get here so quickly? The ship was discovered only this morning, yet I can't remember-"
"Oh, don't worry about it, kid. From now on anything is likely to happen."
Something did. I went over and kissed her, for no apparent reason except that she was a pretty girl and I was feeling rotten. She didn't seem to mind.
Right on cue, the doorbell rang.
"Who is it?" I shouted.
"We're from the Associated Press. We want to see Mr. Richard Lewis," came a couple of voices. I could hear more footsteps coming up the front porch.
"I'm sorry," I called, "he's just come down with Yellow Fever. He can't see anybody."
But it wasn't any use. More and more steps and voices, and I could see the door being pushed inward, I grabbed Elissa's hand and we ran out the back way, ran all the way to the office.
Strangely, there weren't many people around. We walked in, and there, of course, was Mr. Jones at the typewriter. He looked up, saw Elissa and winked at me.
"Listen to this, boy. BANK PRESIDENT'S WIFE CLAIMS DIVORCE-EXPLAINS CAUGHT HUSBAND TRIFLING WITH THREE MERMAIDS IN BATHTUB. 'course, it's rather long, but I think we can squeeze it in. Well, well, who have you there?"
I couldn't think of anything else, so I introduced Elissa.
"Ah, from the Mirror! I got you down here this morning, didn't I?"
Elissa looked at me and I could tell she didn't think I had been trying to fool her.
"Have you turned in your report yet, Miss?"
She shook her head.
"Well, do so immediately! Why do you think I took the trouble of sending you in the first place? Never mind, I'll attend to it. Oh, we're terribly busy here. But a shapely lass like you shouldn't have to work for a living, now should she, Dick?"
And with this, Jones nudged Elissa with his cane, in a spot which caused me to say:
"Now see here Jones-this is going too far! Do that again and I'll punch you in the snoot."
"I must say, Richard, you're just like your father. Don't lose a minute, do you!" I reached out to grab him, but the second afterwards he was over on the other side of the room.
"Tut tut, m'boy, not a very nice way to treat your benefactor! Look at that basket there ."
I looked and so did Elissa. She looked long and hard. The room was full of money and checks, and Mr. Jones danced over with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Bet a couple could take just what's there and live comfortably for a year on it. That is, if they were sure there would be more to come."
He sidled over to Elissa and nudged her again, and I started swinging. Before I landed on my face, a thought came to me. It was a desperate, long-odds, crazy thought, but it seemed the answer to everything.
"Tell you what, Jones," I said, picking myself up off the floor and placing Elissa behind me. "This is a little silly after all. I think you're right. I think I've acted in a very ungrateful fashion and I want to apologize. The Courier is really selling now, and it appears that it'll make me a lot of money. All thanks to you. I'm really sorry."
He put the chair down and seemed pleased.
"Now then, that's more like it, Dick. And, er, I apologize, young lady. I was only being devilish."
Elissa was a sophisticated girl: she didn't open her mouth.
"I can see that you're busy, Mr. Jones, so if you don't mind, Elissa and I will take
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