The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-18
THE EVENING STORY
OF the Twentieth Century.
(Rv Otho Il seneo.1

AS DOCTOR Blyth stood IN the nan, d
young girl stepped from an adjoining
room inquiring anxiously: How do
you ind my father, Doctor Blyth ?"
His condition is serious" he adj
mitted, but with good care
She cut short the conventional
platitudes.
when will he be able to go out
again ?'
Not for weeks emphatically.
Her look of anxiety deepened.
What is your fathers business,
Miss Hall? ''
He is manager of the local tele-
phone system, and attends personally
to repairing and keeping up the line
work." sympathetically.
Yes, particularly in the winter.
The circuit comprises nearly 300
phones, and the line extends out into
the country in all directions"
Discontinue it in the winter" I'M
thinkingly.
The subscribers need it more
then" gravely. Nearly all of them
telephones for communication with
the village and with each other"
IF possible, keep from your father
all anxiety concerning the business. /
fear nervous prostration in his case
During his round of calls, Doctor
Blyth thought often of the beautiful
girl with the sweet. grave voice. he
was stranger in Lindsey, and was
Fred Hall-sick-that's too bad,
was his uncles comment. But they'll
manage all right" with country doc
tors knowledge of his patients affairs.
Fidelia understands the business thor
oughly. Too bad she isn't a boy-1t
will take about all the managers sal
airy to hire a man to come here from
the city to do the outside work.
Doctor Blyth was disappointed
when. several calls were made upon
the sick manager without seeing
Fidelia She was constantly in his
thoughts, and her lovely face seemed
always before his eyes.
BY chance, his next call was in the
evening. Fidelia met him in the hall
as he was leaving.
do you feel encouraged Doctor
"Yes." kindly, "but his nervous con-
dition is serious. Is he worrying
about the business?"
II think not" hopefully. st hold
his position as manager, and that en-
courages him-he has all confidence in
you are a brave girl" enthus-
the outside work."
She hesitated. coloring rosily.
II have the services of very
competent lineman."
Where is your central!
Here" indicating the room ad1oin-
ing. 1--WE always been fathers hello
girl,' smiling brightly.
On several succeeding calls, the
physician saw no one outside the SICK
room but Edith Hall, girl about
thirteen. sharp of eye and of tongue
wholly unlike Fidelia. he thought;
I'm 'hello-girr now" she cried i'm
portantly "Fidelia's out, looking
after the line-the lineman."
He recalled his uncle's remarks re-
garding Fidelia's knowledge OF the
business.
'sThe brave little girl he muir
INJURED, with a tenderness wholly unac-
wise the lineman,s work for awhile.
I'd like to be the lfneman, If 1T means.
a daily drive with the little Fidelia."
ON the following evening, he saw
hopefully of her father, and rejoiced
in her words of praise for his profess
i've often thought she observed
earnestly, that I'd like to be a doc
Doctor Blyth smiled somewhat sa-
tiricalIy.
you forget, Miss Hail." rather
Ioftily, 'tyour physical inability to cope
with the hardships incident to coun-
try doctors life. He must brave any
storm or coId-a delicate girl like you
couldn't endure it
little, pickering smile lurked for
an instant at the corners of the pretty
mouth.
Don't you approve of women be-
ing physicians ?"
Frankly, Miss Hall. do not
aren't you somewhat old-fashion-
ed, doctor, not to say antiquated, in
your ideas?" quizzically.
Perhaps stiffiy, "but there are so
many occuo ations for which woman
is wholly fitted that it seems regretta-
Bile she should enter upon one entirely
unsuited to her"
And may I ask" demurely, what
are some that you consider suitable
for women"
"Weil," hesitatingIy, first, home
making. A woman should be-er-a
wife, and-and mother. of course
"Those privileges" quietly, ARE de-
MED soma women. Go on"
School teaching" triumphantly, mil
linery, dressmaking."
Not at all up-to-date," smilingly
anything else?"
''WelEer-" lamely, 81 don't recall
anything at the moment"
you wouldn't approve then, of wo-
man being a steamboat captain or an
engineer, or house-painter or a ma
SOM"
Certainly not. The last two are ut
terly impossible anyway"
"Oh, I don't know" lightly. 81 can
even imagine woman being good
lineman."
Blyth laughed in open sarcasm.
Il wouldn't care to see the woman.
Wouldn't she be a terror!'
''Why?'' sharply.
Take your own lineman, for exam
pie, Miss Hall. Fancy a woman in his
place! Driving in all weathers about
this sparsely settled country, climbing
poles, sitting astride cross-arms!" he
shrugged his shoulders impatiently.
That's worse than being doctori"
Afterward, he wondered if she would
think he disapproved Of what she was
doing. He hoped not. He considered
it entirely commendable for her to
manage this business during her faith
er's illness, and the Office being in her
own home made it seem essentially wo-
manly.
He promised himself that he would
see her often-he had never before met