Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-03-20
Six Ninety six Main /,

Six Ninety I. IS. six MAN, in
Its strange" SAID Miss Metz. a, tt.S
central telephone Office. ''tast 40. ,,s.x a~'',
calls up 6.>0.'' She rang the bell, ~,
''Testing the wire." responded central
cheerfully. ~y.s -. ss%a.% "a =. a;
1.-The wire responds said thu VOICE. =
Miss Nelson was quite aware that ste
bad no right to continue the converHa
tion, but she had held her cuiiosity y
check for months in the face Of mys
terry, and she could endure it no longer
= "You do not use your phone, much
she said politely. 49,, ~. 4 s. 70
i mo, no." responded tho voice, sons
what sadly. I'm not acquainted In the
city. haven't much use for = telephons,
It IL true. But It's Z great Invention. I
enjoy 1t very much whom you call me- %
10 the morning" TM.49.~~s... !; + q -, !.
! There was something 70 wistful In The
voice that Miss Nelson made no apolos,
TO herself for the tears that came IL Der
EYES. 50 =. g. g., ..<, -, ~.
It was 4 moaotonous life that che led.
It had not much happiness in II and 40
romance. So Il was not surprising that
she endesvored TO probe this, her lrst
mystery. She took the pains one Sunday
aftsrnoo. whom she was 1t leisure 70 eall
at the house Of George Whitman Rum.
ford (600 to- make an inquiry about q
fictitious address. The house was new
and Of red sandstone. eiegant and piaiu,,
and the yard, the yak and the, steps
were In q condition Of scupulous neat.
ness A young colored man answered the
door. hiss Nelson. .blushing at her do
ceit. made her inquiry In a loud tone Of
voice. A. she had hoped and expected,
this brought an elderly gentleman out Of
the library. "
"What is it the lady wants to know.
John? Can I be Of any assistance, mad
amp
Miss Nelson. hating herself for her d,,.
plicity. repeated the question.
The tall gentleman shook his bead re-
gretfully.
II really can be of no assistance to
you" he said II know so few persons In
the neghborhood But. if you will do me
the honor to come in and wait | will
send ont to make ina,ires"
"Oh. no. no." prnt-strd Miss Nelson.
II shall have to give up trying to find
my friends. ] think 1t is evidently
mistake. 1t is sometimes hard to locate
ones friends in city like this"
at u.s. indeed, | suppose Uufortunate-
~. have no friends here
"No?"
"No: have recently come here. I
have always lived in little town. but /
thought l would like to see what life In
the city was like"
',Yes."
~ have built this house. Won't you
great pleasure out Of it The postmaD
kindly stepped in the other day and look-
ed at it. and he admired it much''
Miss Nelson hesitated between pro-
dence and amia hility. and then. casting
A prim. expensive. exquisitely neat and
altogether unhomelike interior met her
view.
~ had to do Il quite Alone" explained
Mr. Rumford. dare say a lady can
discover many deficiencies in It. and I
should be glad Of suggestions" ..
'sYou must find It pleasant living ON,
tive Boulevard said Miss Nelson. Il. h 5s:s
"Oh. very. very! So many people 70
BY. would like tojask some Of them In
at times. but they might think It strange.
I'm much obliged to you for coming In.
1t has made a very agreeable break In.
the day. I'm q little solitary. you know.
If It were not for John. ! should be quite,
dull"
Miss Nelson was moved to shake hands
In saying farewell and the hand that
took hers was unexpectedly hard with
ancient callouses. She could not make
the man out. He was more Of q mystery
than ever.
She got In the way. after this. Of add
ing some little word over the phone after
the daily test Of the wires. and finally
she confessed that It was she who had
called Mr.. George Whitman Rumford
was greatly pleased at this. He laugh
ed and chatted about it till Miss Nelson
was obliged to ring off. He wanted to
send her little gift. but she refused
very gently-tO receive it. He asked to
take her to church Sunday evening, but
she felt It to be best to refuse that
courtesy too. He inquired whether be
might not call for her and escort her
home. But she did not accord him that
permission. He took these rebuffs sadly.
One morning there was no response when
she rang the bell. and after many trials
she made out that John was making fu-
tile attempts to be heard. It was John
who, mumbled over the wires for four
successive mornings.
Miss Nelson grew anxious and called
personally at the house. John came TO-
the door, weeping.
"Mistah Rumfo'd he pass way die
mohnin. ma'am. He ask me ovah and
ovah las night did you tes' the wiahs,
yet. He mighty fon' oh answerin the
phone. Mistah Rumfo'd."
Lida Nelson suffered 4 pang such ~
she had never felt before. It was ~
morse.
She went into the room where the up-
dertaker and his assistants were. having
just finished their sorry task, and she
looked with penitence at the white face
Of the loneliest man she had ever known.
II ought to have had less propriety
and more humanity" she said to herself.
1t was Miss Nelson, John. two or three
Of the neighbors and Mr.. Rumford's man:
Of business who followed the black coffin