The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-07

leaving his fellow-cIerks to guess the rest
Many a lime Jones had resolved 20 ash
this or that girl, pretty girl of course Il
90 10 the theater with him. but every time
his nerve failed him just as he prepared
10 speak 10 her.
That was the situation OF affairs on tht
day when the manager asked Jones Il
cali up the Weather Bureau 1t happened
10 he a dreary. dismal day. Jones went
10 the telephone and rang
"Hellor' came a sweet, as Jones
thought, the sweetest kind of a voice
Number
Jones asked for the Weather Bureau
oh, do tell tfem 10 make the sun come
out" the pretey. sweet voice called back
Jones felt his heart fiutter "Ch. oh yes
yes" he stammered, and hastily glanced
about the OFFICE to see whether anybody
was noticing him. Apparently all were
intent on their work. "Oh. yes, dear" he
added, quite below his breath, for i,
scared hing nightly.
Perhaps the telephone girl had not
heard him, perhaps she had felt insulted.
at any rate Jones' heart 1uttered still
more violently as he realized the rashness
OF his act. He fastened to conclude his
u.
went back TO his regular work. A
few minu7es later the sky cleared
up, and the sun actually did come ont
Jones thought that the telephone girl who
spoke so sweetly TO him must certainly
have taken some interest i'm mis- personal
ity, and so summing up all his courage
he approached the phone once more. He
closed the door TO the telephone room. and
hl
Hello. Number
Jones heart began TO beat at the rata
of 30 minute For ! moment he hest
tated
Didn't / make the sun come out ." he
stammered.
A ripping laugh sweeter than ever was
the reply Jones wes in ecstasy. The t.l4-
phone girl consented 10 enter upon a short
conversation, and then all was silence.
For some minutes Jones kept the re-
ceiver al his ear. but lie heard no more.
The next day he went 10 the telephone
room again and closed the door behind
him.
Hello, dear. Are you the one who made
the sun come out?' Alas, il was another
one. Several Gays passed, and each time
Jones went into the telephone room and
closed the door behind him. The other
clerks began TO get suspicious. They
teaSed Jones. His heart fiuttered, and he
biushed, but AT last he had made his Iepu-
"a tioH as a ladies' man.
II took days-perhaps ii took a week
before jones found the same girl again
What is your narlc, won't you tell me
your name?" he asked.
NO, We 80 by numbers" the telephone
girl replied. I'm No. -.
rs 4 matter Of fact, she was not No.
e. but il viii rot do 10 give the right
number However. Jones continued his
rirtaJion-a very mild Irritation il is true
with No. L. lie dreamed OF her al night
and in lieu OF her name, WntCh she never
revealed. he whispered her number No
y. TO himself, and constructed love poems
that rhymed with L. II made his heart
rutter, but Jones had established mis-
reputation as ladies' man. He tried To
make a date" With No. Is, but she per
s!~teutlv refused.
one day the elderly boekkeeper, 4 man
OF Efty. happened to mention that his
sister worked IN the telephone exchange.
And then again on u later day. he said
that his sister Was coming up 10 the
office 10 see him.
Il must meet her" Jones thought. i
must meet her. and she'll tell me the
name of No. Is"
IN the afternoon the bookkeeper's sis
Ter appeared. She might have been a lit
lie younger than her brother. or she
might have been his twin sis;e-. Her
lace locked kindly. but carewsrn. her
nose was large and iil-Shapen her hair
red and scrasgy. and her face marked
with the wrinkles Of age. On some pre-
tense Jones moved up 10 the booAkeeper
20 that the latter was forced 10 introduc,
her
Glad 10 meet YOU. glad 10 meet YOU"
Jones SJammereG; by the way. do ven
happen 20 know the young lady Who
wears Ne % Down al the telephone ex-
change" he added abruptly.
oh, yes" the bookkeeper's sister re-
piled. Ia her sweetest voice. that's nav
self"
Ana the clerks soon noticed that Jones
Rad abandoned his habit OF frequentins
The telephone room and shutting The deor
behind him