The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-01-09
Love by
Graphophone
By Alice Lovsa carssn
Copyright, 1903, by Alice +. cs,.oa

Win pollshed MIXTURES and fresh white
wood. a pleasant, CHEEKY place TO
work in. Mabel Tburston thought M
she entered. She had come early that
morning because 1t was the last day
of the month and a great deal OF corre-
spondence had to be finished up She
greeted Dick, the office boy, before 20
ing into her own little sanctum. for. Us
the ''graphophonlst'' OF the firm. she
was given nook away from the rattle
OF tickers and other machines.
1.-THE boss left note fer you. Miss
T'urston," said the boy as he followed
her in. carrying an arinful OF wax cyl
inders. There 1t Is"
Mabel read It as she opened and
busted of her typewriter. mo. 3 Inn
portant-to be done first Then 5. 1
and .. G. H."
She nodded understandingly and at.
ted cylinder No. 3 into the graphophope
that stood on the table at her elbow.
Then she wound up and started the
machine and, having fastened about
her head the cap that held the tubes
against her ears, sat down prepared
for the work.
The instrument buzzed few sec
onds, then started of. Take this let
ter to Messrs. Carroll & Briggs. Mid
die Roxbury. Mass" began the gruff
voice OF Carl Horwitz. She could al.
most see the sharp glances he gave
from under his bushy eyebrows while
lie dictated The typewriter began to
rattle In a buslnesslike way. Other
stenographers and clerks came in,
laughing and chattering, and settled
down to work. and the office quickly
resumed Its usual active appearance.
Hurrylng, for he was a little late, en-
tered Pierce Mallon, the junior part
uer. He was Horwitz's nephew. a
bright young fellow OF twenty-six. He
hesitated moment, with flushed face
and embarrassed air, before Miss
Thurston's door, then moved on to the
inner Office, Puzzllng over the phras-
ing of sentence, Mabel did not see
him enter. though she always looked
for his morning greeting and felt some
thing lacking In the day when she
missed it. OF late the handsome boy
who blushed and stammered whenever
he spoke to her had been often in her
thoughts.
mo. next" she thought pleasur-
ably, handing Dick sheaf OF letters
to be signed by Horwltz. That cylin-
der always contained Mallon's CORE
spondence and she enjoyed hearing his
sympathetic voice
please take this letter, Miss Thurs
ton" 1t began deferentially-so Differ
emit from has uncle's abrupt manner.
"Ar. Henry S. Wright, s45 Main street.
Poughkeepsle, N. Y. My dear Mr..
Wright" and SO continued. the girl
drinking in every word.
'If you've finished that, the next is
a personal note" Mallon's voice went
on. BE stopped a minute. then con.
tinued with many halts and jerks OF
utterance. Dear friend-no. my dear
triend-just leave out the name, Miss
Thurston. Ny dear friend, though I've
wanted to do so many times lately
In fact. whenever passed your door
I've never had the courage to speak to
you Of a matter on which feel very
deeply. don't know how you'll re.
gard this method Of addressing you.
No doubt II will seem to you as rude
as 1t is unconventional, but / must run
the risk of offending you. Miss Thurs
ton-Mabel-I love you and
With sharp exclamation the girl
started from her seat and tore the cap
from her head. How dare your she
painted, her cheeks flaming with in
dignation. To take advantage of her
position to insult her in this wayi OF
course there were always little jokes
that the instrument permitted Of
things the men would not say to her
face, but, never anything Of this ma
ture. James Cate, Horwitzs secre-
tary, began his letters by drawing
out, ''My deah girl, II you love me
take this" and Steve Murphy, the
business manager. sometimes inter
rupted his correspondence to tell a
story in his Inimitable brogue, ending
in lusty "Hawi Hawm that always
made her laugh. Horwitz frequently
prefsced his dlctatiOn with remarks
that consigned his correspondent to
Jericho, but to think that Pierce NAL
lon, Of all men. should be guilty Of a
vulgar practical joke Ike thlsl
She jerked the paper on her type
writer and tore II into bits. Then she
stopped the graphophone and changed
the cylinder for another. IF Mr.. NAL
Ions letters are not all written today
It's his own fault" she thought hotly.
with a feeling Of joy that she could
punish him thus.
But dull ache that would not cease
remained in her heart, though she told
herself over and over again that the
fellow was cad and boor and she
despised herself for ever taking him
for a gentleman. Her pillow that
night was wet with some bitter tears
as she tossed sleeplessly on the narrow
boarding house bed. It Is hard to