This was a fun, entertaining story. I liked the theme of female empowerment, and how Mary managed to make the most of an opportunity when it presented itself. The idea of the American Dream is that anyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and this story really played into that idea where, when opportunity presents itself, those who are willing to take a risk and put themselves out there can rise to the top. It's easy to imagine that, were the story continue, Mary would get an earful from Mr. Livingston but also, in the grand American tradition, would capture the interest of someone who liked her reporting and give her an even greater opportunity. Nice job with this story!

The only part of the story that was a little confusing for me is hwo the assistant editor accepted the story (and Mary's byline) without question. Earlier in the story it's established that being a female journalist isn't exactly easy in this day and time, so it would help to know why the assistant editor helped her publish her own article when her boss was out sick. It could be something as simple as establishing that the paper needed content so they ran with the story that was presented to them.

Overall, this was an entertaining, well-written story with compelling characters that was a very enjoyable read. Nice work!