The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1907-02-28

Eyes, kindly, but his nervous con-
dition is serious. Is he worrying about
the businessT
II think moi" hopefully. Il hold his
position as manager, and that encour-
ages him. He has all confidence In my
ability"
''You are brave girl" enthusiasts
tically. "You have some one for the
outside work n
She hesitated, coloring rosily.
IL have the services of a very COM
petent lineman."
where Is your 'centralY"
Here" indicating the room adjoin-
ing. 1--WE always been fathers hello
girl smiling brightly.
On several succeeding calls the ply
stefan saw no one outside the sickroom
but Edith Hall, girl about thirteen,
sharp of eye and of tongue, wholly I'M
like Fidelia, he thought.
"Tm hello girl 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
'aThe brave little GIRL" he murmured,
with tenderness wholly unaccount-
able "She will wish to supervise the
lineman's work for awhile. I'd like to
be the lineman if it means daily
drive with the little Fidelia."
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.
eve often thought" she observed
earnestly, ''that I'd like to be a doc
tor"
DIR. Blyth smiled somewhat satirical-
ly.
You forget, Miss Hail." 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.
i Don't you approve of women being
physicians?"
Frankly, Miss Hall, do not"
aren't you somewhat old fashioned
doctor, not to say Anticipated, in your
ideas?' quizzically.
Perhaps, stiffiy, 'but there are SO
many occupations for which woman
is wholly fitted that it seems regret
i table she should enter upon one entire
ly unsuited to her."
"And may ask" demurely, 'whai
are some that you consider suitable fei
womenY'.
We'll" hesitatingy. first. home
making. A woman should ha--er--a
wife and-and mother, of course
"Those privileges" quietly. are lie
MED some women. Go on
"Schoolteaching, triumphantly. mil
: linery, dressmaking'
! mot at all up to date smilingly
Anything elseY'
weller" lamely-"I don't recall
anything at the moment"
sYou wouldn't approve, then, of ;
woman being a steamboat captain o.
an engineer or house painter or I
: mason?'
Certainly not The last two are nj
terly impossible anyway"
ooh, don't know" lightly, Il cal
} even imagine a woman being goot
lineman."
Blyth laughed in open sarcasm.
81 wouldn't care to see the woman
Wouldn't she be terrorv'
Why" sharply.
Take your own lineman, for exam
pie, Miss Hall Fancy woman In hii
place-driving in all weathers abou
this sparsely settled country, climbing
poles, sitting astride crossarmsv Ht
shrugged his shoulders impatiently
That's worse than being doctorv'
Afterward he wondered if she would
think he disapproved of what she was
doing. He hoped not. He considered II
entirely commendable for her to man
age this business during her fathers
illness, and the office, being in her OWL
home, made it seem essentially WON
aaly.
He promised himself that he would
see her often. He had never before
met a girl who seemed to answer SO
fully the requirements of his ideal.
But as the days went by his glimpses
of Fidelia were tantalizingly infre-
quent. He disliked to inquire for her.
He fancied there was malignant salts
faction in Edith's brief answer, Out
with the lineman."
He ventured another evening call, but
Fidelia was in charge of the switch
board, and opportunity for CONVERSE
ton was limited.
His half conscious resentment to-
ward the lineman prompted question
as to his competency. you have to go
around with him all the time" he
grumbled jealousy.
Fidelia blushed.
4 1.-THE lineman is fully competent, but
T HE RI 90 7 on, worry fond off,