The Indianapolis journal., 1904-05-15
Two Northside Young Women
Say Hospitality Can be Overdone
The Mothers OF the Girls Also Hold
Old Lady a Car oial nd Busnes
Relations Considered. therS Stories

II don't believe that you know your busi-
ness young man." she said. severely. This
amt the place, no such thing. 'Tain't bit
natural looking"
Well maybe things have changed since
you was here last" returned the conductor
patiently. This is the nearest you get
on the car to 535 Blank street"
Come on, Mandy let's get off," whis-
pered the old man. THAT there young fell
ler's paid to do this, an like as not it's the
right place."
Indeed l won't get off here. John Smith. -
returned the old lady, settling her ample
feet firmly upon the floor Il don't intend
to get off till things look natural. Think of
me and you bein' lost in city the size o
this. No, SIR The conductor rang his bell
and the car started on while the other pas
SengerS smiled
The old lady kept her eyes fixed on the
street as the car flew on and by and by
signs of recognition began TO appear in her
face. Old landmarks had been less dis
turbed in this part of the town than nearer
10 the citys center and the place began TO
look familiar TO her eyes. BY the time the
car reached its last square she was almost
nodding to familiar trees and dwellings.
You'll have to get off here or else go
back, called the conductor from the plat
form. End of line"
The old lady was already half way TO the
door, followed by the slower-moving old
man. Course I'm goin' TO get off here,
she returned triumphantly. This is some
thing like: l told you you didn't know your
business, young man-trying TO put me off
way back there where there wasn't nothing
natural at all. guess l got my sense yet
an | know jes' how to walk from here TO
535 Blank street. They can't street-car
conductors thet don't never get off'n their
cars fool me, even ii / don't live in the city
no more" And she nodded TO the young
man with such a sincere belief in his in
efficiency that he could not feel very sorry
that the old lady would have to trudge a
mile back to 535 Blank street from her nat
ural looking starting point.
She is pretty, and sweet and charming,
and. in consequence, she has a number of
masculine admirers. She works down town
and she tries to keep her business and her
purely social connections entirely apart,
but she can't help it if man calls her up
now and then at the office, or just drops in
for a few moments chat. And of course she
can't be rude and freezing and make the
poor man uncomfortable just because he
interrupts her for a moment or two in busi-
ness hours. Certainly not That was the
reason why, when the buzzer of the tele-
phone on her desk indicated that the oper-
ator at their private exchange had a call
for her, and a masculine Hello f1oated to
her over the wire when she took down the
receiver, that she smiled into the telephone
in that wasteful way some girls have and
answered hello in her sweetest tones.
"HellO-WhO is thiS?'' came back in the
masculine voice.
She hesitated. Two or three of the men
she knew always opened telephone con-
versation with her in that playful way,
asking her to guess who was at the other
end Of the line-and which one could it be
1t might be Tom-no, it wasn't Tom S
voice. Charlie? The voice was too deep for
Charles. Her own voice was sweeter than
ever when she answered, to soothe the
sting that she feared her words might
carry.
know"
'You don't know?" came back the answer
in astonished tones.
The sweet girls smile went degree
deeper in her regret. mol can't imagine, -
she answered.
We'll. for heavens sake, what kind of an
establishment do you run down there any
girl could make out evaporation in the
tone now. Here I've been trying to get the
business office for ten minutes and the OPP
orator has given me three other depart
ments, and now / get you and you don't
even. know who you are. Is there anybody
around there who does know" But the
sweet girl had hung UP the receiver with a
daZed air, SO the exasperated voice re-
mained in ignorance.
Janet had come TO spend a day and a
night with Aunt Susan. The day was al
most spent, much to Aunt Susan's relief,
for she herself was almost in the same con-
dition- She tucked the sleepy little girl in
bed and by and by she tucked herself in as
quietly as possible so as not to awaken the
small sleeper. Then she composed herself
to a much-needed rest. But it happened to
be in mosquito time and one solitary mos
quito. happened to be in the room. Every
body knows that a single mosquito is far
more dangerous and maddenng than a
flock of mosquitoes; and Aunt Susan had
the usual experience with this solitary
songster of the night. She heard the sharp,
thin note at her ear and slapped viciously
at the singer, only to have the blow land
smartly on her cheek and to hear him next
moment shrilling paean of triumph at her
left ear. Finally, after fifteen minutes of
warfare she was so warm that she flung
her pillow to the foot of the bed to be
nearer the windows and the breeze. The
next minute a second pillow was flung TO
the foot of the bed and small Janet cuddled
down beside auntie. Auntie said nothing;
she thought Janet was only half awake
and she did not care to complete the pro-
cess.
The breeze was soothing, the mosquito
singer seemed to have taken unto himself
an extra pair of wings and flown away;
and Aunt Susan was just drifting off to
dreamland when a sleepy little voice broke
the silence.
Say, aunfie?"
"Yes, Janet"
Say, auntie, wouldn't you jes' like to see
that oil mosquitoes face when he goes UP
there 10 bite your face n finds yoSr foots.
Won't he be fooled?"