All the hoo-ha this week about rumors of Anna Wintour’s allegedly immanent departure from the editor chair at Vogue reminded me of the days in 1987 when I was assigned by the New York Times to track down a rumor that Wintour, then editor of British Vogue, would be coming to America and replacing American Vogue’s then-editor Grace Mirabella. I called Alexander Liberman, then Conde Nast’s editorial director, who told me it was “possible” Wintour would come to New York “within a certain period of time.” I printed his remark, noting that it wouldn’t calm the rumor mill, and the next morning my phone was ringing as I got to my desk. “Dear friend,” Alex Liberman began. “It seems we have gotten me into some trouble and I am wondering how we can get me out of it?” I talked him out of a correction. Three months later, Wintour was moved to New York as editor of House & Garden and the following year, the other shoe dropped when she replaced Mirabella at Vogue, beginning the 20-year run that possibly may end within a certain period of time.