The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1896-01-17
MARKS THE MASHER
The Hotel Sleuth Who Prote cts
the Telephone Girl.
When Chappic Gets Little Too Promis-
cuous the Hawk-Eyed Man Interferes
"A Sample Case of tho Both
crs0m. Dude.


A pale-faced young woman with deli
cate features and auburn hair sat along
side of the telephone closet in the read
ing-roon of an uptown hotel the other
day reading book, says the New York
Sun.
-"Will you please ring up 800 Spring
for me?s asked a young man who had
just come in from the lobby.
The tone of his voice was familiar
and patronizing, and he looked down
at her with very friendly smile She,
however. did not sfliIle in return, but
Z looked extremely bored. Without max
ing any reply to his question, she went
into the closet and rang the telephone.
The young man stood just outside the
door and leaned against it.
'sThis is a lovely" he began, but
was interrupted by the girls reaching
out her hand, apparently in mechan-
ical way, and pulling to the door. He
got out of the way just in time, and
stood biting the ends of his mustache.
Presently she pushed open the door
again.
1890 is at the telephone" she said.
Kindly ask if Mr.. Joe Jones is
there, he said very sweetly.
She shut the door again and addressed
the person at the other end of the tele-
phone. Presently she wheeled around
in her chair, opened the door, and said:
"They say they don't know any such
person."
There was frown on her face, but it
not in any way disconcert the young
man.
'Oh, pshaw," he said, II must have
made a mistake In the number. Never
mind; how much is it?"
Fifteen cents.p
He pulled out a roll of bills, which he
displayed ostentatiously, and then
thrust back into his pocket again.
From another pocket he then drew out
the exact change, which he handed to
her. At the same time he bcamed on
her in a languishing manner, but, as
her face was averted, all this effort to
impress her was lost. AS soon as she
received the money she resumed her
seat, recorded the transaction on slip
Of paper, picked up her book and re-
turned to her reading. The young man
did not leave, however, but tried to en-
gage her in conversation.
II am awfully sorry to have put you
to so much trouble needlessly,n he be-
gan, "but-"
At this moment he was interrupted
by sharp-eyed, strongly built man
who had been watching him for some
time from corner of the room. He
had stepped up unnoticed and sudden
ly ran against the young man as if by
accident.
'Bcg pardon" he said, as if in a
great hurry, ''but want 1O41 Court
landt right away, miss"
The girls face frightened as she
jumped no and entered the closet again,
while the young man looked s;lvageiy
at the intruder, and then walked off
disgusted. AS soon as he had gone the
stout man tapped on the window of
the closet and Winked Significantly, and
the telephone girl called into the trans
initter;
ANSFSA nAAiius SCAul d1, II Wuo Only dh-
other one of those dudes. He has gone
now, thank goodness"
The stout man walked back to his
corner, and the girl resumed her read
ing,
Every day similar scenes are en-
acted, although sometimes there is de-
lay before the rescuer arrives, owing to
his being busy elsewhere.
"You see, he said in explanation of
one such occurrence, ''there is a lot Of
wcll-dressed fellows who come in here
and patronize the bar more or less, who
would like to flirt with the girl, and il
wouldn't do to have any rumpus about
it. So whenever | see any of them
around | steer In here and watch them.
When they get too fresh give them
this sort of song and dance. It always
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