The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1904-12-01

froht of The Switchboard, plusgirg lh
jstks AID lhinhifx iaat before be close'
up bis desk to 10 heme M. Dickson VA
surprised 70 catch her voice With rev 81
mo,i friendly accent.
10 this Mr. Dleksots
1 Yes.
Shall | call Mary Aud tell htr TO have ID,
children come down TO met yolg
Mr.. Dickson lived soms disiatee beyond
the sir,etrcM terminus, and Tim Away
drove dosH 10 tho iupsb I. to NEST Llm
Il ntysr struck him as a that the tele.
phone giIl knew oi bis ely habit. Per.
hsps abe lived 10 The reghborhood. lie
answered in relieved ,oae.
Yes. Id forgotten 10 ctil her.
Aud II you didn'. call er the woulda'i
remember, would shty
No, no, fgtetd the MAJ, these servants
are great trial. Then 81 Central rsug n
he murmurtd TO himself There's girl
who will make hle ba'i svonsn some
day. would not mIqd Y TshF e ~
tilee.
Ard though he 80 q. vct tell Just how
it happened, fron that lime on /, va, Get.
tisl v ho lad lbe tTlifg cel vera lon with
Mary, until NJ $, Ehbgt sblu and sf.
ter thst. WITH Mis- III ea Leis l., IN rely
giving him sc rdeDfci rep ri oi the con.
yersaiIon. lh'ss,vtd Lis lin which sas
valuable, ard I. pleased his fsrcy hat
someone spp eelst,d /, sbsrib'ng interest
10 the chidIor.
That was why he had bouquet OF q n>w-
ers sent up TO tie telephone X hsnge one
day ard box of ca dy another. S veral
lines be was pied to ca In person, but
he finally decided that seeing the girl face
to face might prove disiliusi1n. Faces
and voices do rot always haimor'z', and
yet be though OF The great relief It was TO
receive messages from Central, instead Of
irate Mary or bu lefty Ellen. He felt sure
that this particular Voice stood for face
fair and womaply. Then he would recall
a recent letter from his son Aunt Mary
would come for--a consideration.
But finally an Inspiration came to him.
Reggie was having a birthday. Z Len, with
characteristic het dessness, had forgotten
this important event, ard had arrarged to
Join house psrty for the very night. But
this should not stand In the way Of pro.
per observance OF the occasion. Reggie |
should have birthday spree, and the guest
Of honor should be the Central girl, with |
whom the two children had held many lit.
tie talks across the wire.
She accepted the invitation sent in Reg
gie's name She rode out in the runabout
driven by the suspicious Tim, who had
made unpleasant remarks to his wife about
old fools and pretty girls. Ard she finally
entered the door opened by Mr.. Dickson
himself.
He gave sigh Of relief which was
drowned in the tumultuous greetings Of the
children. She was Just what he had dream
ID Of, but what he had not dared to hope
Tor. They had merry evening, and when
he two children we're sitting down, one
IN each side of her, to hear what Reg.
gle described as corkirg goblin stories the
,ound Of latchkey fell upon Mr.. Dickson's
,sr.
He rose uncertainty, so did Margaret
Baxter, and so did the two children. And
hat was The scene upon which entered
Charles Dickson, general representative for
he Excelsior Hardware Company, just re-
urned from hard trip on the road He
ooked at Margaret Baxter, who smiled
lie looked at the two children, who Shrek
ID simultaneously and made a rush at
lin.
When he had escaped from their en-
,races bis father started to make the ne ces-
ary introduction, but the younger man
waved him aside
have known Margaret for some time
n fact, lorg b,fre you knew her. When
he children have fiLished their frOlic and
zone to bed, well, we will explain this
natter to you.
Mr., Dickson, Sr., looked from bis son's
ancipg eyes to Margaret Bsx.er's flushed
ace, ard remarked drily:
IL won't be necessary, and while Mics
Iaxter is faishirg tina. goblin story you
al better telegraph to Aurt Mary. Tell
er she need not come. We've changed our
iinds.