The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-06-14
Of the Twentieth
Century.
By Ohio B. Senea.
Copyright, 1907, by May McKeon.

. Copyright, 1907, by May McKeon.
esseessssssessssoessoseees
AS DR.. Blyth stood In the hall q
young girl stepped from an adjoining
room, inquiring anxiously, How dc
you find my father, Dr. 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" emphatically.
Her look of anxiety deepened.
What is your fathers business,
Miss Hall?"
"He is manager of the local teIe-
phone system and attends personally
to repairing and keeping up the line"
THAT means q great deal of hard
work. alphabetically.
Yes, particularly In the winter The
circuit comprises nearly 800 phones,
and the line extends out into the coun-
try in all directions"
discontinue 1t in the winter" I'M
thinldngly.
The subscribers need 1t more then"
gravely. Nearly all Of them are farm
crs and depend upon their 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 DR.. Blyth
thought often of the beautiful girl with
the sweet, grave voice. He was a
stranger IN Lindsey and was taking
up his uncle's practice.
PRED Hall sick? That's too badT'
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 a goo,
nurse. Fidelia understands the bust
ness thoroughly. Too bad she isn't a
boy. 1t will take about all the man
ayers salary to hire a man to come
here from the city to do the outside
work"
DIR. Blyth was disappointed when
several calls were made upon the sick
manager without seeing IEidelia. She
was constantly in his thoughts, and
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, DR.. Blyth?'
YES" kindly, but his nervous con-
dition is serious. Is he worrying about
the business?
Il think not" hopefully. Il hold his
position as manager, and that encOur-
ages him. He has all confidence in my
ability"
You are q brave girl" enthusiast
tically. You have some one for the
outside work.
She hesitated, coloring rosily.
IL have the services of a 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
sician saw no one outside the sickroom
but Edith Hall, a girl about thirteen,
sharp of eye and of tongue, wholly I'M
like Fidelia, he thought.
Pm 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.
1.-The 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 a daily
drive with the little Fidelia.'
On the following evening he saw
Fidelia in her office. lie 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 doe
tor"
DR.. Blyth smiled somewhat satirical.
ly.
you forget, Miss Hail." rather loft.
ly, your physical inability to cope
with the hardships incident to q coun-
storm or cold. \ 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" Quizzlcally.
Perhaps" stiffly, "but there are so
many occupations for which Il woman
is wholly fitted that it seems regret
table she should enter upon one entire
ly unsuited to her."
"And may l ask" demurely, what
are some that you consider suitable for
Tomenf"
We'll" hesitatingly, first home
making 4 woman should be-er-a
wife and-and mother, of course"
"Those privileges" quietly, "are de-
MED some women. Go on"
"Schoolteaching," triumphantly, mil
linery, dressmaking."
Not at all up to date" smilingly.
Anything else"
"Well-er," lamely-"I don't recall
anything at the moment"
you wouldn't approve, then, Of a
woman being steamboat captain or
an engineer or Il house painter or a
mason?'
Certainly not. The last two are TT
terly impossible anyway"
"Oh, 1 don't know" lightly, 81 can
even imagine woman being good
lineman"
Blyth laughed IL 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 n woman In his
place-driving in all weatlerS about
this sparsely settled country, climbing
poles, sitting astride crossarms!' lie
shrugged his shoulders impatiently.
THAT'S worse than being a doctor"