The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-04-25
Mr.. Gobang lnstaIls a Private TeIe.
phone System,

Joshua laid his package down in the
hall and turned upon his wife-iaterro.
cation in his look, fire in his eve.
"Well?' he snapped.
Why. joshua said Mrs. Gobang
in respectful tones, seeing that she
was dealing with a man who was in nc
mood to be trified with, whatever
have you got there?"
What do you want to know for?"
demanded Joshua. seeking to tame her
even further.
But this was too much. and Mrs. Co.
Bang responded with the moral acerbi-
ty of wife who knows that she is
well within her rights
What do | want to know for? Be-
cause! That's why"
"Oh, that's why, is it?" grumbled
Joshua
Yes" said Mrs. Gobang, in the
sprightly terms of conjugal repartee,
that's why!"
"Oh. that's why, eh?"
Yes, that's WHY
Well, they're telephones Now do
you know"
Telephones cried Mrs. Gobang.
Telephones ?"
Telephones. T-e-l-e-p-h-o-n-e-s Hang
on a wall, see? 'B-b-b-bel and a thing
to t-t-t-t-talk through and a d-d-d-d-
dingus to listen through. see?" cried
Joshut, suffering in his emotion.
Telephones! Telephones! BIB
rings: Hello! HelloI T-t-t-talk awhile
and hang UP. See? T-t-t-telephones,
Begin to get the idea? T-t-t-tel''-
Joshua" said Mrs. Gobang with
chilling dignity. please try to be a
man and not foolr'
They sat down to dinner in silence
forthwith. and the soup came and
went, and the fish appeared and dis
appeared and the roast made it's bow
and retired, and the vegetables
trooped on and off, but it was not
until the dessert made it's appearance
that Chilling Dignity and Outraged
Silence looked each other in the eye
and spoke and said
Il bought them at a sale" said
Joshua. Seven dollars for the two"
OH" said Mrs. Gobang.
2 Yes. I'll put one in the kitchen and
one in the front room upstairs, ans
when one of us Is downstairs and the
other upstairs we will be able to talk
to each other like Christians without
out in the hair at the top of
our lungs for everybody to hear"
Accordingly, Mr.. Gobang arose and
screwed one of the instruments to the
kitchen wall and the other to the wall
Of the front room upstairs, even as he
had said. He connected the wires and
The batteries and the thing was done
Now" said Joshua, you go down
stairs and I'll talk to you.
She went downstairs. He rang the
bell and out she ran to the foot of the
stairs and shouted:
ITS all right, joshua The bell
-angr'
"Of course it rangr' he shouted
back; but I want to talk to you
through it."
She went back into the kitchen and |
ooked at the thing with the true fem |
nine dread of all machinery.
do you hear me?" shouted John |
nto the receiver.
Plain she promptly shouted back
through the kitchen door.
Joshua smiled to himself with the |
Inc, tender smile of invention.
Now do you hear rne?" he shouted |
more gently.
YES, joshua" she exclaimed, going
,ut into the hall.
Now do you hear me?" he asked,
till further modulating his voice.
well. yes said Mrs. Gobang doubt
ully. but I have to come half way
lp the stairs
And when Joshua suddenly discov-
red that she hadn't been talking
through the instrument at all, he gave
Ter a single, pale, icy look and ii was
more than an hour before he would
peak to her again on any topic of
no matter how she
empted him. His solitary grandeur
vas so appalling that when he finally
i'd condescend to break the silence,
he ran downstairs and ohatted to him
yer the telephone for good half
our.
She was getting the breakfast next
1orning when the telephone bell rang.
"Well!' she shouted through the
itchen door, what is it?"
Jaw, what have you got for break
asst ?" shouted Joshua, all a-grumble,
why don't you do 1t right?"
She ran. to the telephone with d
Utility look.
Hello" she said.