“Sometimes I think I oughtn’t ever to have gone into newspaper work,” the old woman went on, pathetically. “I don’t know enough.”
“Oh, you don’t have to know anything to do this kind of work,” said Farley. Then he felt sorry. He looked up quickly, but Mrs. McShane had apparently noticed nothing in the remark to wound her feelings.
“Perhaps I can help you,” Farley went on, in a kindly tone. “I’ve been trying to do my article in a different way from the usual society article. I should think people would get sick of reading the same old things about the entertainments here. Besides, this party is given more to show off Briggs’s house than anything else; so I’ve been giving up a lot of space to a description of the place itself. It’s one of Hanscomb’s houses, you know—that big Boston architect, who’s been getting such a lot of advertising lately. He’s one of the best men in his line we’ve ever had. He’s modeled it on the Colonial style, which is fashionable again. I know a little something about architecture. I studied it once for six months in New York, before I began newspaper work. So I’m sort of spreading myself. Now, you might do something like that.”
“But that wouldn’t be fair to you, Mr. Farley,” said the old woman.
“No, I don’t mean that,” Farley went on. “You might make a lot out of the floral decorations and the color scheme in the rooms. People like to hear about those things. Didn’t you notice how the library was in Empire——?”
The old woman shook her head. “Oh, I don’t understand about these things,” she interrupted. “I don’t know enough.”
Farley laughed again. “Well, I’ll tell you. You see, in the first place, Briggs didn’t have a professional decorator, as so many people do nowadays. This place doesn’t look like a professional decorator’s house, does it? Do you know why? Simply because Briggs has a wife whose taste is the very best in the world.” Farley’s face brightened; his eyes shone. “You know Mrs. Briggs, don’t you?”
“Yes; I was sent to interview her once. She wouldn’t let me interview her, but she was so nice about it I couldn’t help liking her.”
“Ah, she’s fine to everyone!” Farley exclaimed, enthusiastically. “I never knew anyone to meet her without—” He checked himself suddenly, and his face flushed. “But we must get down to work. Look here. You’ve been over the house, haven’t you? Well, I’ll describe the principal features as quickly as I can, and you can work ’em up.”
“But how about your own article?” Mrs. McShane inquired, anxiously.