Smyrna times., 1907-01-23
Love by
Craphoc hone
BY Alice Lovett Carson
Copyright. 1906, by Alice L. Carson
BY Alice Lovett Carson

of the month and a great deal of CORE |
spondence had to be finished up. She |
greeted Dick. the office boy, before 60
ing into her own little sanctum, for, as
the "graphophonist'' of the firm, she
was given nook away from the rattle
of tickers and other machines.
'The boss left a note fer you, Miss
T'urston," said the boy as he followed
her in, carrying an armful of wax cyl
inders. There it is"
Mabel read it as she opened and
busted off her typewriter. mo. 3 i'm
portant-to be done first Then 5, A
and 2. c. H"
She nodded understandingly and fit
ted cylinder No. 3 into the graphophone
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 a few Sec
onds, then started off. "Take this let
ter to Messrs. Carroll & Briggs, Mid
voice of Carl Horwitz. She could al
most see the sharp glances he gave
from under his bushy eyebrows while
he dictated. The typewriter began to
rattle in a businesslike way. Other
stenographers ard clerks came in,
laughing and chattering, and settled
down to work, and the office quickly
30,
Hurrying. for he was little late, en-
tered Pierce Mallon, the junior part
ner. He was Horwitz's nephew, a
bright young fellow of twenty-six. He
heSitated a moment, with flushed face
and embarrassed air, before Miss
Thurston's door, then moved on to the
inner Office. Puzzling 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.
'No. next" she thought pleasur-
ably. handing Dick sheaf of letters
to be signed by Horwitz. That cylin-
der always contained Mallon's CORE
spondence and she enjoyed hearing his
sympathetic voice.
'Please take this letter, Miss Thurs
tom it began deferentially-so differ
ent from his uncle's abrupt manner.
"Mr. Henry S. Wright. S45 Main street,
Poughkeepsie, 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. He stopped a minute, then con
tinued with many halts and jerks OF
utterance. Dear friend-no, my dear
friend-just leave out the name, Miss
Thurston. My 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 tC
you of matter on which l feel very
deeply. | dent know how you'll re
gard this method of addressing you
No doubt it will seem to you as rude
as it is unconventional. but / must run
the risk of offending you. Miss Thurs
ton-Mabel-I love you and
With a sharp exclamation the CIR
started from her seat and tore the cal
from her head. "How dare your sh
painted, her cheeks flaming with in
dignation. To take advantage Of he
position to insult her in this way! o
course there were always little joke
that the instrument permitted Of
things the men would not say to he
face, but never. anything of this ma
ture. James Cate, Horwitzs secre
tary, began his letters by, drawlin
out. "AIy deah girl. If you love m
take this" and Steve Murphy, th
business manager, sometimes intel
rupted his correspondence to tell
story in his inimitable brogue, endin
in a lusty "Hawi Hawr that alway
made her laugh. Horwitz frequent
: prefaced his dictation with remark
that consigned his correspondent
! Jericho, but to think that Pierce Ma
) Ion, of all men, should be guilty of
vulgar practical joke like thisl
She jerked the paper off her typ,
writer and tore it into bits. Then 81
stopped the graphophone and change
the cylinder for another. "If Mr. Ma
Ions letters are not all written toda
it's his own fault" she thought hotl
with feeling of joy that she cou
punish him thus.
But dull ache that would not cea'
remained in her heart, though she to
b berself over and over again that Il
q fellow was a cad and a boor and 81
r despised herself for ever taking hi
for a gentleman. Her pillow th
night was wet with some bitter tea
II as she tossed sleeplessly on the narro
boarding house bed 1t is hard
. give up ideals when one is only tive
d ty-two.
II The same cylinder was frequent
u used more than once, for the surfa
st could be shaved smooth ready for a
9 other Impression. so No. 8 was broug
in next morning by Dick. and, thou
Mabel instinctiyely dreaded 1t, s