Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-07-01
A TELEPHONE RIDE.

| And she must be handsome" remarked
young Gubbins, with knowing puff at
his cigarette. sit has always been my ex-
perience that women with musical voices
are good looking"
They were talking about their telephone
girl-she who flirted with them so naively
over the wires.
"She 18th quite young, too, y know" con-
tlnued Mr.. Potter, picking carnation to
pieces, sbecauthe she confided to me that
she walnut out yet. Just fanthyr'
| "You fellows ought to warn your Diana
of the crosswires' to be more careful, !"
growled Barker, head clerk and general
Diogenes in the famous law Office of Last
will & Testament. "When his majesty
the senior partner called up the law
courts this morning, she helloed back and
wanted to know if that wasn't Charlie.
The old man turned purple and threat
ened to see the superintendent"
''She must have thought it was Charlie
| Dennison," said Gubbins 'srhey are get
| ting to be a great deal too thick of late,
and last night heard him ask her to go
| out driving this afternoon"
''Bah Jove!' calculated Simpkinson Pot
ter. "Of courthe she refused"
mo, she didn't" replied Gubbins, 'sbe-
cause he said: No. 1,60O Smith street. All
right, Miss Mellerby, I'll be there on time. ,
But here comes the man in question to
speak for himself"
| Mr.. Charles Dennison entered, arrayed
in clothes of bewildering cut and wearing
| an eloquent box coat, in the lapel of which
reposed royal gardenia.
"My dear Charles" said Barker, 81
trust you are not going to do anything
rash?"
Dennison glanced around the Office with
| i'll concealed triumph. Il am going to take
| our telephone girl, Miss Mellerby, out
driving" he observed, giving every syl-
liable full emphasis.
To his surprise no one made any COM
ment on this intelligence Gubbins looked
out of the window and Simpkinson Potter
placed his carnation stalk between the
leaves of a law book.
II do believe" he said at last, ''that you
knew all about it beforehand"
''All about what?" queried Barker. 'Oh,
yes. You have to take some girl out driv-
ing. Pm sure we all sympathize with
you"
sYeth, indeed, Charlie" exclaimed
Simpkinson Potter; ''it'th beathtly nui-
thance, old boy, but never mind. 1t will
soon be over"
'Be sure to get on Miss Mellerby's good
side," said Gubbins 'My experience is
that telephone girls are always deaf in one
ear"
Dennison waited to hear no more ''You
fellows are just jealous" he said and few
minutes afterward they saw him driving a
roam mare and a smart dogcart around
the corner.
Arrived at 1000 Smith street, Charles
Dennison found the house to be model
suburban cottage, looking sunnily south
ward and overrun with Towering creepers.
"Just the place for young love-" he ro-
mantically exclaimed, as he hitched his
roam to fantastic green dragon on one of
the gate posts. II wish to goodness Cub
bins and that lisping idiot Potter were here
to watch my meeting with Laura. had
better not call her Laura at first, by the
way. Things that sound all right over a
| telephone wire may be quite startling
when one is brought face to face" Here
Charlie opened the gate and strobe up the
short gravel path. Everywhere in the
| little garden he noticed the traces of a
woman's tender care. "And yet," he muir
INJURED, "they talk about telephone girls
only caring for chewing gum and flirta-
| tion."
His ring brought a pleasant faced matron
| to the door.
'Mrs. Mellerby, is it not?" asked Char
| lie, taking off his hat with his best air.
He had reputation for astuteness and
| was much gratifed when the lady nodded
| a smiling assent to his question.
"And you are Mr.. Charles Dennison, l
supposeY' she said. ''We did not expect
you quite so soon, but earliness is an ex-
cellent fault. Won't you come in?'
| Of course Charlie went in, remarking to
himself that Mrs. Mellerby seemed much
better than the general run of girls moth
ers. She could not be more than forty, he
thought so that the fair Laura was prob
ably not yet twenty. Moreover, Mrs.
Mellerby's plump figure and distinct
traces of past beauty promised well for
| Laura's appearance.
They entered the pretty little parlor and
sat down. Then Mrs, Mellerby laughed
gayly and said, "Well, Charlie, which
shall we talk about first, the weather or
your dogcart?" Charlie laughed like
wise, although he thought the use of his
| Christian name little odd.
'Let us talk about the dogcart," he
said.
Every WELL" replied Mrs. Mellerby.
''Under those circumstances I fear shall
| have to begin with a disappointment.
| The fact is, dear boy, the girl who was to
have taken my place is sick and l am
obliged to go to the office this afternoon.
I am very sorry to break off our engage
ment, but you see it is impossible for me
TO go out driving to-day"
| To say that Charlie Dennison jumped
| fully foot from his chair at this speech
would be no exaggeration.
81 beg your pardon" he exclaimed
| If Mrs. Mellerby noticed his startled ex-
preston of countenance she mistook or
pretended to mistake its cause.
u know it's shame" she said depre-
catingly, "but what can I doa They are
very strict at the central Office and am
obliged to CO. When you called me up
yesterday, Charlie, felt sure of getting
off this afternoon, Now I am compelled to
answer 'hellos' from all parts Of tho city
for six weary hours. After all it is just as
hard on me as on YOU"
| By this time Charlie Dennison had man
| aged to collect his thoughts. But what
thoughts! So this old woman was the
Laura" of his dreams, the fair telephone
| ingenue whose flirtations seemed buoyant
with breezy girlishness, How the boys
would laugh if they knew. But they must
never know. It was a kindly fate which
had saved him from this affection. In his
beart he blessed that other weman who
had fallen sick at such a propitious time.
"Please don't be mad about it, Charlie
said Mrs. Mellerby,
| Charlie was obliged to say something
IA man c-can't help being a little disap-
pointed, you know" he stammered hypo-
critically. II really c-counted on taking
you out driving. Now shall have to drive
all alone"
Here, with something of his pristine
spirit, he contrived to make wry face
suitable to the occasion.
! Mrs. Mellerby laughed. Suppose" she
said, ''that were to provide substitute.