Romance of Newspaper Couple Is Exciting Serial Serial i SeriaL Serial Seria Happy Go Lucky Happy Luc Lucky Y By Mrs Harry Pugh Smith t I CHAPTER ONE Champ Fields managing editor editor edi edl- tor tor and part owner of the West West- Westhaven h haven ven Clarion was In a temper and he wanted the world to take notice It was part of Barbara West's job to bear with the chiefs chief's tantrums The Clarion was not a metropolitan newspaper It was pretty small small in many ways Barbara covered several unimportant unimportant un un- important departments on the sheet and also acted as secretary to the managing editor when necessary Bending over her typewriter type type- writer she attempted to act as if she did not hear his roars u upon on this occasion although they reverberated reverberated reverberated rated through the building I have a limit he announced with great bitterness and Tony Blake has reached it He glared at Barbara She was wasa a daughter of a newspaper man and Champ Fields had given her her first job He had in his gruff way taken her under his wing vying her after fathers father's death I I realize Ive I've said that before about Tony he acknowledged but this time tame I mean it Yes Mr Fields murmured Barbara She was afraid he did mean it Her hand trembled slightly slight slight- ly y as she inserted a fresh sheet of paper aper in her machine If only Tony verent Weren't so irresponsible she thought hought or if he were less lov lov- able But Tony was both irresponsible sible and lovable and Barbara could not bear to think of his being eing discharged just when he was beginning to make good I dont don't blame you for being exasperated she said trying to sound soothing Tony can be the most exasperating person on earth but ut he he- he her color deepened deepened- hes a peach of a reporter when he works at it When he works at it the devil snapped napped Champ Fields eyeing the theoffice theoffice theoffice office clock Its ten minutes to the he deadline and where is he I 1 ask you Where is he Barbara smiled feebly Knowing Tony Id I'd hate to have to guess I 1 send him out on a special as- as Hes He's to cover the board meeting of the local Founders' Founders society I explain they are a bunch of tiresome busybodies but they control the advertising in this town own So what does he do Go on and tell me What does that wild Arab do Hard boiled but Not With Tony Barbara shook her head She was vas a slight girl with short smooth black hair and very blue very straightforward eyes She was 22 and had been supporting herself for or three years She liked to think that hat she was a hard-boiled hard business business business busi busi- ness woman She was about ev ev- except Tony Blake It frightened her how from the first sh she had been unable to be the least hard-boiled hard about Tony She could merely pretend to beIm beIm beIm be Im afraid hes he's let you down on this she admitted her eyes also upon the clock It was a mistake mistake mis mis- take to put Tony on the board meeting He hates time small as as- Im getting out a newspaper not running a bureau for temperamental tem tem- temperamental prima donnas said Champ Fields in an ominous voice Every man and woman at that meeting expects to see his name in the afternoon edition The city editor is holding the space the city room Is tearing Us its hair My life liCe won wont won't t be worth living living liv liv- ing for a week Barbara hard I wouldn't like to see you get in bad with the local swell-heads swell she said and produced a sheet of paper from her desk this demanded Champ Fields with a suspicious scowl Barbaras Barbara's cheeks felt hot Its the board meeting story she ex ex- I was afraid Tony would give ft fl the runaround so I 1 went over during the lunch hour and dug u up what I could To keep me and the paper from getting in bad I 1 suppose suppo e 1 he de de- de Yes Mr Fields murmured Barbara He looked somewhat mollified when he walked out and B Barbara drew a sign of relief Champ Fields Fields' face was not reassuring reassuring re re- re assuring when he returned that that he snapped but dont don't think youve you've saved Blake e I 1 told you I meant it this time The minute I 1 catch sight of that young galoot galoot galoot ga ga- ga- ga loot hes he's fired Get it 1 Fired Yes Mr Fields sighed Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara hara though 1 I hate to see you lose a good man Threatens to Fire Tony on Sight I Champ Fields snorted Does every woman who looks at him have to fall for that guy You arent aren't fair to him Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara stammered Tony has his faults but hes he's clever and he isn't laz lazy and and and-and- and Tonys all right in lots of ways conceded Champ Fields You cant can't help liking him Hell He'll probably go far if he ever stops being a playboy playboy play play- boy but hes he's not for you kid You ought to be able to see that Barbara f flu flushed l u s she h e d painfully There isn't anything between Tony and me He kids me when hes he's in the office just as he kids all the girls It doesn't mean anything anything anything any any- thing to him That was the trou trou- ble It didn't mean anything to Tony ony Women had always made a loss Hiss over him from his mother up Barbara supposed he couldn't help taking that sort of thing in his stride Hes a born ladies' ladies man growled Champ Fields and its it's not his fault altogether but that's not the point Youre You're too nice a kid to get get hurt and if you keep on fooling with Tony Blake youre you're going to get hurt and plenty Barbara sighed As f I she hadn't told herself all that a hundred times during the six months she had known Tony Pony as if everybody I she h tie knew had not told her the same sl thing over and over Tonys good looking Jock Hutchins rewrite man had said only the day before and hes he's all broken out with what you sob sisters call charm but hes he's the thelast thelast thelast last man you ought to tie up with Barbara Barbara had answered Jock much as she answered Champ Fields now I tell you Tony and andI I 1 have never thought thoughts s seriously of each other she protested a littie little lit lit- tie tle hysterically He wouldn't dream of asking me to marry him and if he did did if if he did did did- She paused abruptly Tony was standing standing stand stand- ing in the doorway smiling at her He was wearing his new gray suit His big Panama hat was cocked ed on the back of his head He looked exactly as s if he had stepped but of a fashion plate except that his maroon tie had slipped under one ear and his thick black hair k was as slightly rumpled And if I 1 did ask you to marry me Miss West Vest he sang out probably crown me So here you are said Champ Fields grimly Yep here I 1 am Tony said his gray eyes dancing Champ Fields choked One minute min min- minute ute to press time and you show up grinning like a fox You went out to get a story but that's nothing in your young life The city editor can worry about that Fields Becomes Aware of Internal Convulsion At that moment Ch Champ mp Fields became aware of what Barbara had not noticed the moment be be- fore It was past the time for the paper to go to press but the building building building build build- ing was not shaking as it should have been with the thunder of the presses and down the hall the city room seemed to be in the throes of some internal convulsion Youve held up the afternoon edition because youre you're late with the board meeting story thundered thundered thundered thun thun- dered Champ Fields Ill boil you in oil for this I 1 tell you interrupted Tony again winking at Barbara Continued on the Page Pace I 1 5 5 r i R ti J Je J e a s sc I cw c w G p b t ts s 5 0 PJ r l si M d 4 s t Y 4 You arent aren't fair to him Barbara stammered Tony has his faults but hes he's clever and he isn't lazy and and and- Tony Turns Up With Scoop Of the Year in His Town Continued From Preceding Page I t took myself off the board meeting meeting meet meet- in ing yarn arn You too took yourself off of roared Champ Fields in a bedeviled voice Tony laughed Youre going to love this Chief But weve we've got to work werk fast last We ought to have the extra on the street In 15 minutes All about local reporter recognizing ing the Kelly kidnaper on the street this afternoon and rescuing the child and everything Champ Fields clutched his brow Have you gone crazy Nope said Tony I did recognize recognize rec rec- the Kelly child this after after- noon She was in a car with a bearded man I took tool after them in my little flivver tracked them to a trailer camp outside the city limits and called the cops Its It's the berries Chief The guys guy's confessed They've got him and the kid id over at headquarters now and have sent for her foll folks s. s The city eds ed's putting everybody e on the paper on the story My God mumbled Champ Fields staggering to his feet Its the biggest story this town has seen since the last war Tony laughed I thought you'd like it he said but Fields was already running down the hall to the tho city room For the next hour everything was pandemonium at the Clarion offices Nobody took time for a adeep adeep adeep deep breath until the extras were on the street and then holding his head in his hands the managing editor collapsed in his desk chair and stared morosely at Tony Blake who was lounging in the doorway doorway doorway door door- way grinning over his You think youve you've got me where the hair is short dont don't you growled Fields More or less admitted Tony Looks as if Il I should rate a small boost in the old pay envelope Chief All right all right conceded Fields wearily I I fired you so now Ill I'll hire you back at a five dollar raise Only mark my words Blake Bake some day youre you're going to come a cropper Tony grinned Dont worry about me Chief Ill I'll get by Its not you Im I'm worrying about snapped Champ Fields Your kind always gets by worse luck Still scowling he stumped out of the office To be continued Tuesday