Helen in the Editor's Chair Part 31

Helen picked up the typed pages, 12 altogether. She hadn't intended to make the story that long but it had written itself, it was one of those stories in which danger and heroism combine to make the human-interest that all newspaper readers enjoy.

With the story of Captain Billy and the _Queen_ out of the way, Helen wrote a short lead about "Speed" Rand and then clipped the rest of the story for the _Herald_ from the one she had telephoned the a.s.sociated Press. Even then it would run more than a column and with a long story on the general Fourth of July celebration she felt that the _Herald_ would indeed give its subscribers their money's worth of news that week.

There was a slight let-down in advertising the week following the Fourth but they crammed the six home-printed pages of the _Herald_ full of news and went to press early Thursday, for it was election day and the fate of the paved road program was at stake. For the last month Helen had written editorials urging the improvement of the roads and they went directly from the office Thursday afternoon to the polling place to remain there until the last ballot had been counted. The vote was heavy and Rolfe favored the good roads 452 to 73.

Doctor Stevens, who announced the vote to the anxious crowd, added, "And I think we can thank Helen Blair, our young editor of the _Herald_, for showing us the value of better roads."

There was hearty applause and calls for speech, but Helen refused to talk, hurrying away to telephone the Rolfe vote to the a.s.sociated Press.

The morning papers announced that the program had carried in the state as a whole and that paving would start at once with Rolfe a.s.sured of being on the scenic highway not later than the next summer.

News from their father in Arizona continued cheering and as their own bank account increased steadily and circulation mounted, Tom and Helen felt that they were making a success of their management of the _Herald_.

The remainder of July pa.s.sed rapidly and the hot blasts of August winds seared the valley of Lake Dubar. The only refres.h.i.+ng thing was the night breeze from the lake which cooled the heat-baked town and afforded some relief. Then came the cooler days of September and the return to school.

Superintendent Fowler arrived a week before the opening of the fall term and Tom and Helen arranged to attend part time, yet carry full work.

Helen also worked out plans for a school page, news of every grade to be written by some student especially designated as a reporter for the "_School Herald_."

Tom and Helen had so systematized their work that the task of getting out the paper was reduced to a minimum. With Margaret willing to help whenever needed, they felt sure they could continue the successful operation of the _Herald_.

Every spare hour Helen devoted to building up the circulation list and by early October they had added 400 new subscribers, which gave the _Herald_ a total of 1,272 in the county and every one paid up.

"Gosh, I never thought we could get that many," said Tom as he checked over the circulation records. "Now I'm sure we'll be named one of the official county papers. What a surprise that will be for Dad."

"I thought you said we'd have a lot of trouble with Burr Atwell, editor of the _Advocate_ at Auburn," chided Helen as she recalled her brother's dire statements of what the fiery editor of the Auburn paper would do when he found the _Herald_ was trying to take the county printing away from him.

"We've just been lucky so far," replied Tom. "Atwell will wake up one of these days and then we'll have plenty of trouble. He won't fight fair."

"Let's not borrow trouble until it arrives," Helen smiled.

Organization of the high school cla.s.ses and election of officers followed the opening of school and Helen found herself president of the juniors while Tom was named secretary and treasurer of the seniors.

"I'm mighty proud of both of you," said Mrs. Blair when they told her the news that night at dinner. "It is no more than you deserve but I hope it won't be too much of a burden added to your work on the paper."

"It won't take much time," Tom a.s.sured her, "and since Marg Stevens is vice president of the juniors Helen can turn a lot of the work over to her."

They were still at the dinner table when a heavy knock at the front door startled them. Tom answered the summons and they heard him talking with someone with an exceedingly harsh voice. When Tom returned he was accompanied by a stranger.

"Mother," he said, "this is Mr. Atwell, editor of the _Auburn Advocate_."

Mrs. Blair acknowledged the introduction and Tom introduced the visiting editor to Helen. Mr. Atwell sat down heavily in a chair Tom offered.

"I suppose you know why I'm here?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," replied Mrs. Blair.

"It's about the _Herald_ and the circulation tactics of these young whipper-snappers of yours. I hear they're trying to take the county printing away from me and become one of the official papers of the county."

"Who informed you of that?" asked Helen, who had taken an instant dislike to the pudgy visitor whose flabby cheeks were covered with a heavy stubble of whiskers.

"Folks have been talking," he replied.

"When you want information like that you'd better come to those concerned," retorted the energetic young editor of the _Herald_.

"That's just what I'm a-doing," he replied. "Are you?"

"Are we what?" interposed Tom.

"Are you trying to be a county paper?" snorted Atwell.

"Yes," replied Helen, "we are. This section of the county doesn't have an official weekly and the people here want one."

"You're trying to rob me of my bread and b.u.t.ter for your own selfish ends," stormed the visitor.

"We're not trying to rob anybody," replied Tom. "Get this straight. We've as much if not more right to be a county weekly than you have. All we have to say is be sure your records are correct when the supervisors meet in December. Now get out of here!"

Atwell rose slowly, his heavy features suffused with anger and his hands shaking.

"I serve notice on you," he stormed, "that you'll never win out." He stomped from the room, slamming the front door as he went.

Mrs. Blair looked at Tom and Helen.

"Don't you think you were a little short with him?" she asked.

"Perhaps," admitted Helen, "but he can't tell us what to do."

"In that," smiled her mother, "you take after your father."

They refused to let the warning from the editor of the Auburn paper dim their hopes or r.e.t.a.r.d their efforts. Circulation mounted steadily until by mid-November it had reached an even 1,400.

Tom continued his weekly trips to Gladbrook to get the county farm news and to solicit advertising. From one of these trips he returned jubilant.

"I've been talking with the supervisors," he said, "and they're all in favor of naming the _Herald_ the third official paper instead of the _Advocate_. One of them suggested that we get an auditor from Cranston to go over our circulation list and officially audit it and then have him with us when we appear before the board."

"But wouldn't that cost a lot of money?"

"Probably $50 but having an audited list will practically insure us of getting the county work. Also, I'm going to take our subscription records and list over to the bank and keep them there until we need them every Thursday."

"Why, what's the matter, Tom?"

"I heard some talk in the courthouse that Atwell had been boasting he'd get even with us and I'm not going to take any chances with the records."

With characteristic determination Tom made the transfer that afternoon and it was only mid-evening of the same day when the fire siren sounded its alarm.

All of the Blairs hurried outside where, from the front porch of their home, they could look down main street.

"The truck is stopping in front of the _Herald_ office!" gasped Helen.

Without a word Tom plunged down the hill, running full speed for the office. Helen and her mother followed as quickly as possible.