Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-07
THE FATAL TELEPHONE.
A Thrilling Domestic Story Which
Doesn't Need n Sequel.

A Thrilling Domestic Story Which
Doesn't Need n Sequel.
NO said a gcod-natured Washington
man of about forty-fve to a Star reporter,
no. I don't believe in modern science for
daily application. We don't need it. We
were, or our ancestors rather, We're quite
as we'll off as we are today, and what did
they know about modern science?'
'They didn't know much as we d. and
just see how much they missed" contended
the reporter.
But they We're as happy and contcnted
as we are; more SO, in many instances"
and there was that in the tone of the talker
indicating that he had grudge against
science on purely personal grounds.
Ahem, coughed the reporter. sgnifying
wish or an inclination to ask question or
two.
''Oh, you needn't be barking I'D the tree
Tor me- laughed the man. II might as we'll
tel you why in one particular / don't like
science, or, possibly, should say. one of the
results OF It's Application, what is generally
considered most useful adjunct to our con-
fenence. 1 refer to the telephone. and
may say, IN passing. confound the tele-
What has the telephone ever done tn
YOU: asked the reporter, much surprised
at this unexpected attack
Let me tell you and though the man
looked solemn enough he laughed .You
may not know it, but / have n wife who is
DIS strict on the question of propriety as
any woman you ever heard of, and she
Knows that at times 1 am not proper
as l should be. That is say, she sLs-
pected as much. and suspicion is almost
the Same as a fact with Il woman She
mas been in the habit OF going away every
summer summer leaving me in charge of our house,
because my business will not permit me
TO leave except over Sunday. OF course
When the cats away the mice will play
ana confess that l used to have the gang
10 md to
wasn't nome, and we had pretty good
times.
Il used to send the servants away. ard
we had 1t all to ourselves and as we don't
iive IN row the neighbors couldn't hear
what was going on. OF course my wife
never knew anything about it. for she was
100 square woman TO come back unex-
pectedly to find out. Well last summer
when she went away 1 got everything
Parture in good style. And you bet we
did. We never had such time, and we
kept 1t up for four nights. I suppose we
would nave finished the week out, but on
the morning of the fifth day received a
letter from my wife that was a reyela-
ton and a corker
In that letter was not only list of the
names or my guests, but there was a great
deal of the actual conversation that had
taken place the number of kinds of liquor
we had and even the ante and limit Of the
game we played. 1t was simply horrjfy-
MS, eii'' tiuii udIe 10 Try TO lie out OF 1t,
as lad done on other occasions, for was
sure she had witnesses to prove her case
She was awfully nice about it, though
ana advised me to turn over a new leaf
unless l wanted her to come home.
"Of course, l turned over a new leaf, and
even went so far as to ask the mission work
ers to come up and hold prayer meetings
Inere, 1of didn't know what my wife would
do II she got started once. At the end of the
Week Went over to Philadelphia, where she
was stopping for two weeks and she greeted
me with smile. She didn't even mention
the discovery she had made, but did, and.
after teasing me a long time, she agreed to
tell me IN the fall if would be good boy.
! was afraid not to be, and when she came
back in September she showed me whar,
sne had had telephone put in with mag
nlfying front hid in a dark corner. IT was
fixed so 1t was ready for business ali the
time, and all she had to do was to go to the
iong-distance telephone office anywhere
nook on to our house, and there she had mo
II was expensive but convincing and now
That she is onto me. I have to be so con
ioundedly proper that it becomes painful at
He sighed profoundly, and the reporter ex-
tended his sympathy epo' 'e'