Uncertain Glory Read Online Free PDF

before.”
    â€œAnd President Lincoln can go to the telegraph office at the War Department and know what his army is doing,” agreed Charlie.
    Suddenly I had a selfish thought. More people were joining the crowd on Main Street all the time. Maybe the future of my chosen profession was doomed. Who would buy a newspaper when they could get news within hours from the telegraph? I shared my worries with Charlie.
    â€œNot everyone can stand here all the time,” Charlie pointed out. “And what about people still at their homes or farms? They haven’t heard what’s happening yet. Plus, telegraph wires aren’t strung everywhere.”
    â€œTrue. But tomorrow’s
Herald
will have to be as up-to-date as possible. With news changing this fast, there’s no way to tell what might be happening by the time we deliver the paper.”
    Trusty followed us as we moved through the crowd.
    â€œI had an idea last night, after you left,” said Charlie. “We could interview Nell Gramercy.”
    â€œWhat?” I reached down and stopped Trusty from impolitely sniffing old Mrs. Gould. “Interview Miss Gramercy? Are you crazy? I’m worrying about covering a battle in South Carolina, and you’re talking about interviewing a girl spiritualist.”
    â€œShe’s news, too! Local news. And she’s going to hold that big meeting tomorrow night no matter what happens down south.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œI’ll help. We’ll fill three pages of the
Herald
with the ads and social notices and fillers you already have. We’ll keep checking with the telegraph office until right before we have to set type for page one, tomorrow morning. If anything happens after that, it has to be a special edition, like the one two days ago. You made money on that! On the first page, we’ll put an article on the happenings in South Carolina, and what people here think about it. And, if we can get it, an interview with Nell Gramercy.”
    â€œHer uncle might think more people would pay to see her after reading it,” I admitted.
    â€œExactly.”
    â€œI’ll need your help, and Owen’s. Full-time,” I added.
    â€œYou go and get Owen. I’ll find Mr. Allen. He’s usually in the tavern, even in the morning,” Charlie said. “Father sends people there if they want to know anything about the spirit sessions.”
    â€œI’ll take Trusty home first. Then I’ll find Owen. Meet me back at the office,” I told him. “When you find out whether we can interview Nell Gramercy, we’ll know how many columns we’ll have to fill.”
    Charlie had a talent for getting what he went after. He might just get us that interview with Miss Gramercy.

Chapter 8
    Friday, April 12, morning
    Trusty happily trotted back home to Middle Street with me. He didn’t know he was going to be left behind the fence that enclosed the dooryard. Keeping Trusty with me if I was going to be at the newspaper office all day by myself was one thing, but I didn’t want to worry about him if Charlie, Owen, and I were all going to be in and out of the office, interviewing people, checking with the telegraph office, and racing back to write stories.
    Besides, I wanted to tell Ma and Pa the news. They wouldn’t know about the battle in Charleston Harbor.
    Trusty squeezed his way inside the shop ahead of me. Ma already had a customer. Mrs. Pendleton was trying on one of the spring hats that had arrived by coaster last week from New York City. Ma was helping her decide which color flattered her most. She looked up and nodded at me. “Your father’s in the back.”
    Had Pa told her he’d gone to the spirit circle last night?
    A bang echoed from the room in back of the store. I gathered up Trusty, who gave one reluctant bark, and we went through the back door of the shop into the private area of the building. Trusty wasn’t normally allowed in