The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-08-15

lis tndt all, Slf! Sd1u CQe woman
impatiently.
II guess So" he replied reluctantly
and hung up his receiver.
At her end Of the wire the woman
slammed up the receiver with a crash
which made central flush just a bit
angrily. Clump, clump, clump, she
went down the basement stairway to
meet a look Of inquiry on the face of
her husband, gardener and man Of all
work for Henry Dickson, president Of
the Excelsior Hardware company.
'Sure, it's the same old thing" she
said snappishly as she tossed the soap
into the dish pan. "Frettin' his soul
out about those two children. It's no
place for me and you, Tim. Either the
old man or the young un ought to
marry. What with church and par
thies and fly be night nature into the
bargain, Miss Ellen's no good at all. at
all. When she's in the house she's In
bed, and when she's not In bed she's
out Of the house"
Tim shook his head and marched out
to the stable, and Mary turned to face
shrinking little figure in the door
way.
II want to sit behind the stove, Mary.
There's no fire in the library, and I'm
cold all over"
"I'll bet the young un's goin' to be
SICK" said Mary as she made room for
the child on the wood box behind the
stove "She ought to had on her warm
fannels last week. Sit there, dear,
whilst tell you about the fairies Pad
| Ly OGlyn met on his way to Donegal
| fair"
The man at the other end Of the line
lau been leaning back in chair, star
ng up at the ceiling. Finally he called
1is stenographer and dictated letter.
1t was addressed to Charles Dickson
and wound up as follows:
"While you're in Chicago 1 wish you
would stop in to see your aunt Mary
| Graves. Things are not going right at
the house, fear Ellen is too frivolous
| and fond Of society to do what is en-
tirely right by us and the children.
Your aunt Mary is a capable woman
and would pull things together in less
than no time"
But even with the letter started on
| its way Mr.. Dickson felt uneasy. Aunt
Mary was capable, but was she SYM
pathetic enough to deal with those
children? He recalled the gentle ways
and the fair face Of the dead daughter
| in-law. He wished somehow Aunt Mary
would wave her hair about her face
and smile once in awhile. But she was
better than thy more uncertain element
he had dreadsd-a stepmother for his
beloved grandchildren.
| And all the time Margaret Baxter sat
In front Of the switchboard, plugging
the jacks and thinking. Just before he
closed up his desk to go home Mr..
| Dickson was surprised to catch her
voice with a aew, almost friendly ac-
cent
els this Mr.. ptckson?'
"Yes."
"Shall I cali Mary and tell her to
have the children come down to meet
your
Mr.. Dickson lived some distance be-
yond the street car terminus, and Tim
always drove down in the runabout to
meet him. It never struck him as odd
that the telephone girl knew Of his
daily habit. Perhaps she lived in the
neighborhood. He answered in re-
lieved tone:
"Yes; I'd forgotten to call her."
"And If you didn't call her she
wouldn't remember, would sheY
"No, no." agreed the man; these
servants are great trial" Then as
central rang 1E he murmured to him
self: There's d girl who will make a
fine business woman some day.
would not mind having her in my
Office"
And, though he could never tell just
how it happened, from that time on it
was central wao had the trying CONVEX
sation with Mary until Miss Ellen got
about, and after that with Miss Ellen
herself, merely giving him a condensed
report of the conversation. This saved
his time, which was valuable, and II
pleased his fancy that some one appre-
ciated his absorbing interest in the
children.
That was why he had bouquet OF
flowers sent up to the telephone ex
change one day and box Of candy an
other. Several times he was tempted to
call in person, but he finally decided
that seeing the girl face to face might
prove q disilluaion. Faces and voices
] do ac. always harmonize, and ~ be