Jennie Baxter, Journalist , livre ebook

The Floating Press - Robert Barr

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

139 pages

English

Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

This charming mystery from Scottish-Canadian author Robert Barr focuses on the adventures of plucky, pretty journalist Jennie Baxter. Said to be based in part on the journalistic crusader Nellie Bly, Jennie is an intelligent and indefatigable sleuth -- and a formidable foe of crooks and thieves.

Informations

Publié par	The Floating Press
Date de parution	01 septembre 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781776585618
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0134€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

JENNIE BAXTER, JOURNALIST
* * *
ROBERT BARR

*
Jennie Baxter, Journalist First published in 1899 Epub ISBN 978-1-77658-561-8 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77658-562-5 © 2014 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
*
Chapter I - Jennie Makes Her Toilette and the Acquaintance of a Porter Chapter II - Jennie Has Important Conferences with Two Important Editors Chapter III - Jennie Interviews a Frightened Official Chapter IV - Jennie Learns About the Diamonds of the Princess Chapter V - Jennie Meets a Great Detective Chapter VI - Jennie Solves the Diamond Mystery Chapter VII - Jennie Arranges a Cinderella Visit Chapter VIII - Jennie Mixes with the Elite of Earth Chapter IX - Jennie Realizes that Great Events Cast Their Shadows Behind Chapter X - Jennie Assists in Searching for Herself Chapter XI - Jennie Eludes an Offer of Marriage Chapter XII - Jennie Touches the Edge of a Government Secret Chapter XIII - Jennie Indulges in Tea and Gossip Chapter XIV - Jennie Becomes a Special Police Officer Chapter XV - Jennie Bestows Information Upon the Chief of Police Chapter XVI - Jennie Visits a Modern Wizard in His Magic Attic Chapter XVII - Jennie Engages a Room in a Sleeping Car Chapter XVIII - Jennie Endures a Terrible Night Journey Chapter XIX - Jennie Experiences the Surprise of Her Life Chapter XX - Jennie Converses with a Young Man She Thinks Much Of Chapter XXI - Jennie Keeps Step with the Wedding March
Chapter I - Jennie Makes Her Toilette and the Acquaintance of a Porter
*
Miss Jennie Baxter, with several final and dainty touches that put torights her hat and dress—a little pull here and a pat there—regardedherself with some complacency in the large mirror that was set beforeher, as indeed she had every right to do, for she was an exceedinglypretty girl. It is natural that handsome young women should attirethemselves with extra care, and although Jennie would have beenbeautiful under any conceivable condition of dress, she nevertheless didnot neglect the arraying of herself becomingly on that account. All thatwas remarkable on this occasion consisted in the fact that she took morethan usual pains to make herself presentable, and it must be admittedthat the effect was as attractive as anyone could wish to have it. Herappearance was enough to send a friend into ecstasies, or drive an enemyto despair.
Jennie's voluminous hair, without being exactly golden, was—as thepoets might term it—the colour of ripe corn, and was distractinglyfluffy at the temples. Her eyes were liquidly, bewitchingly black, ofmelting tenderness, and yet, upon occasion, they would harden intopiercing orbs that could look right through a man, and seem to fathomhis innermost thoughts. A smooth, creamy complexion, with a touch of redin the cheeks, helped to give this combination of blonde and brunette anappearance so charmingly striking that it may be easily understood shewas not a girl to be passed by with a single glance. Being so favouredby nature, Jennie did not neglect the aid of art, and it must beadmitted that most of her income was expended in seeing that herwardrobe contained the best that Paris could supply; and the best inthis instance was not necessarily the most expensive—at least not asexpensive as such supplementing might have been to an ordinary woman,for Jennie wrote those very readable articles on the latest fashionablegowns which have appeared in some of the ladies' weeklies, and it wasgenerally supposed that this fact did not cause her own replenishingfrom the modistes she so casually mentioned in her writings to be moreexpensive than her purse could afford. Be that as it may, Miss Baxterwas always most becomingly attired, and her whole effect was soentrancing that men have been known to turn in the street as she passed,and murmur, "By Jove!" a phrase that, when you take into account thetone in which it is said, represents the furthermost point of admirationwhich the limited vocabulary of a man about town permits him to utter;and it says something for the honesty of Jennie's black eyes, and thestraightforwardness of her energetic walk, that none of these momentaryadmirers ever turned and followed her.
On this occasion Miss Jennie had paid more than usual attention to hertoilette, for she was about to set out to capture a man, and the man wasno other than Radnor Hardwick, the capable editor of the Daily Bugle ,which was considered at that moment to be the most enterprising morningjournal in the great metropolis. Miss Baxter had done work for someof the evening papers, several of the weeklies, and a number of themonthlies, and the income she made was reasonably good, but hazardouslyfitful. There was an uncertainty about her mode of life which wasdispleasing to her, and she resolved, if possible, to capture an editoron one of the morning papers, and get a salary that was fixed andsecure. That it should be large was a matter of course, and pretty MissJennie had quite enough confidence in herself to believe she would earnevery penny of it. Quite sensibly, she depended upon her skill and herindustry as her ultimate recommendation to a large salary, but she waswoman enough to know that an attractive appearance might be of someassistance to her in getting a hearing from the editor, even though heshould prove on acquaintance to be a man of iron, which was tolerablyunlikely. She glanced at the dainty little watch attached to herwristlet, and saw that it lacked a few minutes of five. She knew theeditor came to his office shortly after three, and remained there untilsix or half-past, when he went out to dine, returning at ten o'clock, orearlier, when the serious work of arranging next day's issue began. Shehad not sent a note to him, for she knew if she got a reply it would bemerely a request for particulars as to the proposed interview, and shehad a strong faith in the spoken word, as against that which is written.At five o'clock the editor would have read his letters, and wouldprobably have seen most of those who were waiting for him, andMiss Baxter quite rightly conjectured that this hour would be moreappropriate for a short conversation than when he was busy with hiscorrespondence, or immersed in the hard work of the day, as he would beafter ten o'clock at night. She had enough experience of the world toknow that great matters often depend for their success on apparenttrivialities, and the young woman had set her mind on becoming a memberof the Daily Bugle staff.
She stepped lightly into the hansom that was waiting for her, and saidto the cabman, "Office of the Daily Bugle , please; side entrance."
The careful toilette made its first impression upon the surly-lookingIrish porter, who, like a gruff and faithful watch-dog, guarded theentrance to the editorial rooms of the Bugle . He was enclosed in akind of glass-framed sentry-box, with a door at the side, and a smallarched aperture that was on a level with his face as he sat on a highstool. He saw to it, not too politely, that no one went up those stairsunless he had undoubted right to do so. When he caught a glimpse of MissBaxter, he slid off the stool and came out of the door to her, whichwas an extraordinary concession to a visitor, for Pat Ryan contentedhimself, as a usual thing, by saying curtly that the editor was busy,and could see no one.
"What did you wish, miss? To see the editor? That's Mr. Hardwick. Haveye an appointment with him? Ye haven't; then I very much doubt if ye'llsee him this day, mum. It's far better to write to him, thin ye canstate what ye want, an' if he makes an appointment there'll be nothrouble at all, at all."
"But why should there be any trouble now?" asked Miss Baxter. "Theeditor is here to transact business, just as you are at the door to dothe same. I have come on business, and I want to see him. Couldn't yousend up my name to Mr. Hardwick, and tell him I will keep him but a fewmoments?"
"Ah, miss, that's what they all say; they ask for a few moments an' theyshtay an hour. Not that there'd be any blame to an editor if he kept youas long as he could. An' it's willing I'd be to take up your name, butI'm afraid that it's little good it 'ud be after doin' ye. There's morethan a dozen men in the waitin'-room now, an' they've been there forthe last half-hour. Not a single one I've sent up has come down again."
"But surely," said Miss Jennie, in her most coaxing tone, "there must besome way to see even such a great man as the editor, and if there is,you know the way."
"Indade, miss, an' I'm not so sure there is a way, unless you met him inthe strate, which is unlikely. As I've told ye, there's twelve men nowwaitin' for him in the big room. Beyont that room there's another one,an' beyont that again is Mr. Hardwick's office. Now, it's as much as myplace is worth, mum, to put ye in that room beyont the one where themen are waitin'; but, to tell you the truth, miss," said the Irishman,lowering his voice, as if he were divulging office secrets, "Mr.Hardwick, who is a difficult man to deal with, sometimes comes throughthe shmall room, and out into the passage whin he doesn't want to seeanyone at all, at all, and goes out into the strate, leavin' everybodywaitin' for him. Now I'll put ye into this room, and if the editor triesto slip out, then ye can speak with him; but if he asks ye how ye gotthere, for the sake of hiven don't tell him I sint ye, because that'snot my duty at all, at all."
"Inde