The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-01-19
OVER THE
WIRE
By ROSE ELLEN THOMAS
Copyright, 1905, by X. A. Whitehead

y
L-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~c
When Jim Lee, the village carpenter
md widower, died, people felt sorry
for his daughter Molly and wondered
how she would get along. They did
more, fer Il wonder. A number of them
20 interested themselves that she was
made telephone operator at Sandsville
with good weekly salary. She made
her home with neighbor, and things
went on very well with her.
Molly Lee was girl of twenty, ard
if she hadn't married before her ia
TIERS death it was not because of the
lack CT opportunity. Why she didn't
was her own affair. Why she attended
strictly to business afterward and had
no beauX was also her own affair, but
the villagers winked and nodded to
each other and said it would come
around by and by. Vs..
At StapletOn, tWenty-eight miles
away, james Williams opened a store
about the time Mr.. Lee died. He had
much telephoning to do in various di-
rections, and he called up Sandsville
at least once Il day. When he heard
the new voice over the telephone he
liked the sound of it. The more he
heard OF it the better he liked it.
As he was bachelor and as he was
charged with having an eye open for
Il wife it would not have been strange
l.. Ell,
TO introduce him to that girl with
sweet voice i'll the telephone office, but
lie did nothing Of the kind. He could
have stepped aboard the train any day
AMI gene and seen for himself, but he
did liot do that.
Bachelors have their romances as
we'll as young men and maidens. He
built up romance around the "Hello!'
voice, and after u few weeks he would
have wanted to knock the man down
who destroyed it for him. When there
was no business on the Sandsville line
to call for his opening the telephone he
made excuses to do SO. He felt he
must hear that voice at least once a
day, and when he found his romance
growing he smiled to himself.
BY and by the messages over the wire
were not strictly confined to business,
according to regulations. The bache-
lor opened conversations on general
subjects, and as he was paying the
price eXacted by the schedule of rates
the girl could hardly snap him off the
line. He never asked her name, but he
betrayed an interest that brought the
blush to her cheek as she carelessly re-
SDonded: Yes" Il see" Il guess So"
Indeed"
Sometimes he left his telephone open
and sang. 1t was always Il senttmen-
tai song, and the girl at the other end
Of the wire knew that the words were
meant for her. At first, when address
ing her, he had called her after the
name of the town. One day he glided
away from that and called her Girly.
she was going to reprove him, but he
was in Il hurry, and she put it off. The
rcproof never reached him, although he
was considered an impudent fellow to
keep on making use of the term.
For Il year the bachelor Rugged his
romance to his soul; then he made up
his mind to look for something more
material He put Oh his Sunday suit
one day and went down to Sandsville.
any one OH the street would have told
him that Miss Molly Lee was in charge
of the telephone office and would prob
ably have added that she was the best
looking girl in town, but he asked no
questions, not even where the office
was. He strolled around until he found
it for himself, and he kept saying as
he StrOlled:
Jimmy Williams, you are making an
idiot Of yourself. OF course Girly Is
an old maid and homely as hedge
fence, and you will get snapped up in
great shape for your cheek. Better go
back and keep your Illusion"
But he entered the telephone office in
stead, and the first glance at the wo-
man behind the desk sent his heart
down Into his boots. Just as he had
feared. she was an old maid. She was
an old maid who was having trouble
with soft corn that day, and a man
who suffered had just left the office
after vain!y seeking to send message,
and she did not like the way the man
from Stapleton looked at her.
"WCll:" she blurtcd out as he stood
there looking around in helpless way
name is Williams of Stapleton," he
answered.
"Well, what of thatY
Il have done considerable tele-
phoning to this office during the past
year"
and have you got any complaints
to make"
"N'm"
''Then what?"
Il thought That is, II
"Have you been drinking, STRIP de-
manded the old maid in voice full Of
carpet tacks and pounded glass.
"N-n-n-n-ow suffered Mr.. Williams
Ritter great effort.
Then you are going to have paresis
and had best consult doctors"
Mr.. Williams withdrew and went
over and sat down in the shade of the
grocery steps. A bobtailed dog came
along and tried to make friends with
him, but he would not respond. One Of
the hogs sauntering about the village
streets approached and grunted amia-
bly,, but was kicked at in response.
The groceryman came out and, rub
bling his hands together, observed that
he had just laid in a new stock OF
crackers and herring, but the bachelor
never even thanked him for calling his
attention to the fact.
BY and by, when the cold chill of
disappointment had passed away, he
got up and walked to the depot and
took the train for home. His romance