But Mr. Ducker's journalistic fervour received a serious
set back one day. He rushed into the Mercury office just
as the paper went to press with the news that old Mrs.
Williamson had at last winged her somewhat delayed flight.
Evans thanked him with some cordiality for letting him
know in time to make a note of it, and asked him to go
around to Mrs. Williamson's home and find out a few facts
for the obituary.
Mr. Ducker did so with great cheerfulness, rather out of
keeping with the nature of his visit. He felt that his
way was growing brighter. When he reached the old lady's
home he was received with all courtesy by her slow-spoken
son. Mr. Ducker bristled with importance as he made known
his errand, in a neat speech, in which official dignity
and sympathy were artistically blended. "The young may
die, but the old must die," he reminded Mr. Williamson
as he produced his pencil and tablet. Mr. Williamson gave
a detailed account of his mother's early life, marriages
first and second, and located all her children with
painstaking accuracy. "Left to mourn her loss," Mr. Ducker
wrote.
"And the cause of her death?" Mr. Ducker inquired gently,
"general breaking down of the system, I suppose?" with
his pencil poised in the air.
Mr. Williamson knit his shaggy brows.
"Well, I wouldn't say too much about mother's death if
I were you. Stick to her birth, and the date she joined
the church, and her marriages--they're sure.
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