L M Montgomery Short Story: The Substitute Journalist

Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery was born in Prince Edward Island on November 30, 1874. She achieved international fame in her lifetime, putting Prince Edward Island and Canada on the world literary stage. Best known for her "Anne of Green Gables" books, she was also a prolific writer of short stories and poetry.

This collection features those stories.

This episode is called a Substitute Journalist.

Transcript

Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph.

It is time to relax and fully let go.

There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.

Close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the support beneath you.

And let all the worries of the day drift away.

This is your time and your space.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.

There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.

Happy listening.

A Substitute Journalist Clifford Baxter came into the sitting room where Patty was darling stockings and reading a book at the same time.

Patty could do things like that.

The stockings were well darned too and Patty understood and remembered what she read.

Clifford flung himself into a chair with a sigh of weariness.

Tired?

Queried Patty sympathetically.

Yes,

Rather.

I've been tramping about the wharves all day gathering longshore items.

But Patty,

I've got a chance at last.

Tonight as I was leaving the office,

Mr.

Harmer gave me a real assignment for tomorrow.

Two of them in fact,

But only one of importance.

I'm to go and interview Mr.

Keefe on this new railroad bill that's up before the legislator.

He's in town visiting his old college friend Mr.

Reid and he's quite big game.

I won't have had this assignment of course if there'd be anyone else to attend but most of the staff will be away all day tomorrow to see about that mine explosion at Midbury or the teams to strike at Bainesville.

I'm the only one available.

Harmer gave me a pretty broad hint it was my chance to win my spurs.

If I worked up a good article out of it,

I'd stand a fair show of being taken permanently on next month when Allsop leaves.

There'll be a shuffle all around then you know.

Everybody on the staff will be pushed up a peg and that'll leave a vacant spot at the foot for me.

Patty threw down her darning needle and clapped her hands with delight.

Clifford gazed at her admiringly thinking he had the prettiest sister in the world.

She was so bright and eager and rosy.

Oh Clifford how splendid!

She exclaimed.

Just as we'd begun to give up hope too.

You must get the position you must hand in a good write-up.

Think about what it means to us.

Now I know.

Clifford dropped his head on his hand and stared rather moodily at the lamp but my joy's chasing Patty.

Of course I want to get the permanency since it seems to be the only possible thing but you know my heart isn't really in newspaper work.

The plain truth is I don't like it although I do my best.

You know father always said I was a born mechanic.

If only I could get a position somewhere among machinery that'd be my choice.

There's one vacant in the steel and iron works in Bancroft but of course I've got no chance in getting it.

I know it's too bad said Patty returning to her stockings with a sigh.

I wish I were a boy with a foothold on the Chronicle.

I firmly believe I'd make a good newspaper woman if such a thing had ever been heard of in Aylmer.

That you would said Clifford.

You've twice as much knack in that line as I have.

You seem to know by instinct just what to leave out and put in.

I never do and Homer has to blue pencil my copy mercilessly.

I'll do my best with this as it's very necessary I should get the permanency for I fear our family purse is growing very slim.

Mother's face has a new wrinkle of worry every day.

It hurts me to see it.

And me,

Sighed Patty.

I do wish I could find something to do too.

If only we could both get positions everything would be all right.

Mother wouldn't have to worry so.

But don't say anything about this chance to her until you see what comes of it.

She'd only be doubly disappointed if nothing did.

Now what's your other assignment?

I've got to go out to Bancroft on the morning train and write up old Mr Moreland's birthday celebration.

He's a hundred.

There's going to be a presentation and speeches and everything.

Nothing very exciting I suppose.

I'll have to come back on the three o'clock and hurry out to catch my politician before he leaves at five.

Take a stroll down to meet my train would you Patty?

We can go out as far as Mr Reed's house together and the walk will do you good.

The Bagsters lived in Aylmer.

A lively little town with two newspapers The Chronicle and The Ledger.

Between these two was a sharp journalistic rivalry in the matter of beats and scoops.

In the preceding spring,

Clifford had been taken on The Chronicle on trial as a sort of general handyman.

There was no pay attached to the position but he was getting training and there was the possibility of a permanency in September if he proved his mettle.

Mr Baxter had died two years before and the failure of the company in which Mrs Baxter's money was invested had left the little family dependent on their own resources.

Clifford,

Who had cherished dreams of a course in mechanical engineering knew he must give them up and go to the first work that offered itself which he did staunchly and uncomplainingly.

Patty,

Who hitherto had no designs on a career but had been sullenly content to be a home girl and mother's right hand also realised it would be well to look about her for something to do.

She was not really needed so far as the work of the little house went and the whole burden must not be allowed to fall on Clifford's 18-year-old shoulders.

Patty was his senior by a year and ready to do her part unflinchingly.

The next afternoon she went down to meet Clifford's train when it came no Clifford appeared.

Patty stared about her in the hurrying throngs in bewilderment.

Where was Clifford?

Hadn't he come on the train?

Surely he must have.

There was no other train until seven o'clock.

Surely he must have come.

She must have missed him.

Patty waited until everyone had left the train then she walked slowly homeward.

As the Chronicle office was on her way she dropped in to see if Clifford had reported there.

She found nobody in the editorial offices except the office boy Larry Brown who promptly informed her that not only had Clifford not arrived but that there was a telegram from him saying he'd missed his train.

Patty gasped in dismay.

It was dreadful.

Where's Mr Harmer?

She asked.

He went home as soon as the afternoon edition came out.

He left before the telegram came.

He'll be furious when he finds out said Larry who knew all about Clifford's assignment.

Isn't there anyone else to go?

Queried Patty.

Larry shook his head.

They're in the soul in.

We're mighty short-handed just now on account of the explosion and the strike.

Patty went downstairs and stood for a moment in the hall wrapped in reflection.

If she'd have been at home she verily believed she would have sat down and cried.

This was too bad.

What could she do?

Could she do anything?

She must do something.

If only I could go in his place she said to herself.

Then she started.

Why not?

Why not go and interview the big man herself?

To be sure she did not know a great deal about interviewing.

Still less about railroad bills and nothing at all about politics.

But if she did her best it might be better than nothing.

It might at least save Clifford his present hold.

With Patty to decide was to act.

She flew back to the reporter's room pounced on the pencil and tablet and hurried off her breath coming quickly and her eyes shining with excitement.

It was quite a long walk out to Mr.

Reed's place and she was tired when she got there but her courage was not a whit abated.

Can I say Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Patty paused for a moment in dismay.

She'd forgotten the name.

The maid who'd come to the door when she rang the bell looked her over so superciliously that Patty flushed with indignation.

The gentleman who's visiting Mr.

Reed she said crispy I can't remember his name but I've come to interview him on behalf of the Chronicle.

Is he in?

If you mean Mr.

Reefer he is said the maid quite respectfully.

Evidently the Chronicle's name carried weight in the Reed establishment.

Please come into the library I'll go and tell him.

Patty had just time to seat herself at the table spread out her paper imposingly and assume a business like air when in came Mr.

Reefer.

He was a tall handsome old man with white hair,

Jet black eyes and a mouth that made Patty hope she wouldn't stumble on any questions he wouldn't want to answer.

Patty knew she would waste her breath if he did.

A man with a mouth like that would never tell anything he didn't want to tell.

Good afternoon what can I do for you madam?

He inquired with the air and tone of a man who means to be courteous but has no time or information to waste.

For a moment Patty quailed.

She couldn't ask that masculine sphinx questions.

Then the thought of her mother's pale careworn face flashed across her mind and all her courage came back with an inspiriting rush.

She bent forward to look eagerly into Mr.

Reefer's carved granite face and said with a frank smile I've come to interview you in behalf of the Chronicle about the railroad bill.

It was my brother who had the assignment but he's missed his train so I've come in his place because you see it's very important to us.

So much depends on this assignment.

Are you a member of the Chronicle staff yourself?

Inquired Mr.

Reefer with a shade more geniality in his tone.

No,

I've nothing to do with it so you won't mind me being experienced will you?

I just don't know what I should ask you so would you just please tell me everything about the bill and Mr.

Harmer can cut out what he doesn't matter.

Mr.

Reefer looked at Patty for a few moments with a face about as expressive as a graven image.

Perhaps he was thinking about the bill and perhaps he was thinking what a bright vivid plucky little girl this was with her waiting pencil and her air that strove to be businesslike and only succeeded in being eager and hopeful and anxious.

I'm not used to being interviewed myself he said so I don't know very much about it we'll be in green hands together I imagine but I'd like to help you out so I don't mind telling you what I think about this bill and its bearing on certain important interests.

Patty's pencil flew as she scribbled down his terse pithy sentences.

She found herself asking questions too and enjoying it.

For the first time she thought she might rather like politics if she understood them and they did not seem so hard to understand when a man like Mr.

Reefer explained them.

There now I'm all talked out he said at once.

You can tell your news editor you know as much about the railroad bill as Andrew Reefer himself.

Boys with important things to do mustn't miss trains.

Your brother shouldn't have missed that train tell him that.

Perhaps it's just as well he did in this case though but tell him not to let it happen again.

Patty went straight home wrote up her interview in ship shape form then took it down to the Chronicle office.

There she found Mr.

Harmer scowling blackly.

The little news editor looked to be in a rather bad temper but he nodded not unkindly to her.

Good evening Patty take a chair.

That brother of yours hasn't turned up yet.

The next time I give him an incitement he'll manage to be on hand in time to do it.

Oh said Patty breathlessly please Mr.

Harmer I have got the interview here I thought I could perhaps do it in Clifford's place so I went to Mr.

Reeds and saw Mr.

Reefer he was very kind and Mr.

Who?

But Mr.

Harmer was no longer listening.

He snatched the neatly written sheets of Patty's report and was skimming over them with a practiced eye.

Then Patty thought he must have gone crazy for he danced around the office waving the sheets in the air and dashed frantically up the stairs to the composing room.

It's the biggest beat we've ever had he said 10 minutes later.

We've not only scooped the ledger but every other newspaper in the country how did you do it?

Why?

Said Patty in utter bewilderment I just went to Mr.

Reeds and asked for the gentleman who was visiting there I forgot his name so Mr.

Reefer came down and I told him my brother had been detailed to interview him but that Clifford had missed his train so wouldn't he let me interview him in his place?

It wasn't Andrew Reefer I told Clifford to interview laughed Mr.

Harmer it was John C.

Keefe I didn't know Reefer was in town he's never consented to be interviewed before on any known subject I had to think we'll be the first to get it Patty you're a brick Clifford came home on the seven o'clock train and Patty was there to meet him he also had a story to tell Don't scold me until you hear what I missed the train for I met Mr.

Peabody of the Still and Iron Company at Mr.

Morland's I got into conversation with him and when he found out who I was he was greatly interested he said father had been one of his best friends I told him about wanting to get a position in the company and he had me go right out to the works and see about it and Patty I've got the place goodbye to the grind of newspaper work that's what I say and it was just as well when Mr.

Keefe was suddenly summoned home this afternoon so when the 3.

30 train from town stopped at Bancroft I knew he was on it found that out and I got on I must hurry to the office and hand it in now I've got my interview after all I suppose Mr.

Harmer will be very much vexed until he found out that I've got it Oh no smiled Patty Mr.

Harmer's actually in very good humour then she told her story The interview with Mr.

Reefer came out with glaring headlines and the Chronicle had its hour of fame and glory The next day Mr.

Harmer sent word to Patty he wanted to see her So Clifford is leaving he said abruptly when she entered the office Do you want his place?

Mr.

Harmer are you joking?

Demanded Patty in amazement Not I That stuff you handed in was splendidly written I didn't have to use the pencil more than once or twice You have the proper journalist instinct all right and we need a lady on the staff You'll take the place it's yours for saying so and the permanency next month I'll take it said Patty promptly Good now go down to the symphony club rehearsal this afternoon and report that You're just 10 minutes to get there and Patty beaning with a twinkle in her eye promptly departed