The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1907-03-14
OF the Twentieth
Century.
BY Ohio b. Senea.


As DR.. Blyth stood in the hall u
young girl stepped from an adjoining
room, inquiring anxiously, How do
you find my father, Or Blyth?"
His condition is serious" he admit
ted, but with good care
She cut short the conventional plati.
tudes.
when will he be able to go out
again.
Not for weeks" emphatieally.
Her look of anxiety deepened.
What is your fathers business.
Miss HallT'
HE Is manager of the local tele
phone system and attends personally
to repairing and keeping up the line"
THAT means great deal of hard
work. sympatheticaIly
Yes, particularly in the winter. The
circuit comprises nearly 300 phones,
! and the line extends out into the coun
try in all directions"
Discontinue it in the winter" un-
/ thnkngy.
The subscribers need it more then
] gravely. Nearly all of them are farm
ers and depend upon their telephones
for communication with the village
and with each other"
IF possible keep from yonr father
/ all anxiety concerning the business. l
! fear nervous prostration in his case"
ht
thought often of the beautiful girl with
i the sweet grave voice. He was
stranger in Lindsey and was taking
up his uncle's practice
Fred Hall sick That's too badr
was his uncle's comment. But they'll
manage all right" with a country doc
| tors knowledge of his patients af
fairs. Mrs. Hall is strong and good
nurse. Fidelia understands the bust
ness thoroughly. Too bad she isn't
! boy II will take about all the man
ayers salary to hire man to come
here from the city to do the outside
work"
DR.. 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, Or. Blyth?"
Yes" kindly. but his nervous con-
! l.
the business
81 think not hopefully. L hold his
position as manager, and that encour-
ages him lie has all confidence In my
ability"
You are brave girl" enthusiast
tically. you have some one for the
outside work ?"
She hesitated, coloring rOsily.
II have the services of n very com
petent lineman."
"Where is your 'centralT"
Here" indicating the room adjoin-
ing. I've always been fathers hello
girl smiling brightly
On several succeeding calls the ply
stefan saw no one outside the sickroom
but Edith Hall, a girl about thirteen,
sharp of eye and of tongue, wholly I'M
like Fidella, he thought.
I'm hello girl now" she cried i'm
portantly. "Fidelia's out looking after
the llne-the lineman."
He recalled his uncles remarks re
garding Fidelia's knowledge Of the
business.
1.-The brave little girl" he murmurcd,
with "a tenderness wholly unaccount-
able. "She will wish to supervise the
llneman's work for awhile. I'd like to
be the lineman If it means a daily
drive with the little Fidella."
On the following evening he saw
Fidelia in her office. He reported hope
fully OF her father and rejoiced In her
words OF praise for his professional
care
I've often thought" she observed
earnestly. that I'd like to be doc.
tor
DIT Blyth smiled somewhat satirical-
ly.
You forget, Miss Hall" rather lofti-
ly, your physical inability to cope
with the hardships incident to coun-
try doctors life. He must brave any
storm or cold. A delicate girl like you
couldn't endure It,"
A little Pickering smile lurked for an
instant at the corners of the pretty
mouth.
Don't you approve OF women being
physicians"
Frankly, Miss Hall, do not"
Aren't you somewhat old fashioned.
doctor, not to say antiquated, In your
Ideas" quizzically.
Perhaps" stiffly, but there are so
many occupations for which woman
b wholly fitted that 1t seems regret
table she should enter upon one entire
y unsuted to her."
"And may l ask" demurely. what
are some that you consider suitable for
women?
well" hesitatlngly, FIRST, home
making. A woman should be-er-a
wife and-and mother, of course"
'Those privileges" quietly, ARE de-
MED some women. Go on"
"Schoolteaching." triumphantly, mil.
nnery, dressmaking."
mot at all up to date" smilingiy.