Page:Elizabeth Jordan--Tales of the city room.djvu/47

 supplement. During the warm days of summer these doors were usually open, the slight figure of the youthful sentinel being regarded as a wholly sufficient barrier between visitors and their editorial goal. From his post the boy could see the members of the staff at their respective desks, as well as the easels at which the artists on the Sunday edition worked steadily. Directly in line with his glance was the easel of Miss Frances Neville, one of the cleverest artists on "The Searchlight." That young woman could be seen toiling industriously at it from ten o 'clock in the morning until six o clock at night.

Chesterfield approved of her from the moment he saw her. On that memorable occasion she had beamed on the new boy with one of the gay and débonnaire smiles which it was her wont to distribute impartially along her daily path. It had materially aided the youth to bear with dignity the mild "hazing" to which he was subjected by the other boys in the office during his first week.

Being wise beyond his years, Chesterfield mentioned to no one his admiration for "The Searchlight's" leading woman artist. He