Page:Elizabeth Jordan--Tales of the city room.djvu/123

 This hypothetic plunge into such an abyss of despair made her soul shudder.

She was very busy all day. She had several assignments, one of which necessitated the interviewing of a great many persons. It was after seven in the evening when she returned to "The Searchlight" building and entered the city room. A hush seemed to fall on it as the little gray figure walked briskly toward the city editor's desk. It was Ruth Herrick, sick at heart over the task she had to perform, who intercepted her, and putting her arm around the other woman's shoulder, drew her into an adjoining room, beyond the gaze even of the sympathetic eyes that followed them.

"I have something to tell you, my dear girl—my dear girl," she began falteringly. She could not bear to meet the big blue eyes that were fastened on her face with a look of almost childish terror. "I have bad news for you—you must try to bear it as bravely as you can," she went on. "Your husband has been injured, and you must go to him at once. I will go with you. I have sent for a cab, and as we ride uptown I 'll tell you everything. We 've been trying to reach