Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23
AROUND THE CITY

| She had been on her vacation and a
friend at the cafe table had to listen 70
experiences like this:
"When I reached Baltimore I found
had to phone to Atlantic CITY, SO. wrote
out a six-word message. told the long
distance girl that l was in rush 10
catch my train and asked her whae the
price of the message would be.
| "She smiled pleasantly and told me the
price would depend. Then she looked over
the six words leisurely. patted her POM
| padour, smoothed up the back or her halr
| with her tuck comb, fingered her belt
| 20 see if her placket was fastened and
then touched the switchboard. And all
| the time she chewed gum
'While she waited for an answer sne
smiled over at young man at Inc tele-
graph counter, and then looked out of a
| window to see what was going on in the
| train shed.
Il was beginning 10 get f1dgity when a
call came and she got busy.
Say. gimme Blank Hotel. Atlantic
City-Blank Hotel. can't you hear me?
Certainly I'm talking loud enough
B-l-a-n-k Hotel, and don't be all day
about it
When these amenities had been ex-
changed the ng-distance girl had a
! chance to repeat her dabs at her lair and
belt and to swap what society calls small
| talk with the young man who was by
this time leaning over her desk:
"rhen the answer came tnat the biahk
| Hotel was waiting and she began on my
message:
I Hello that you. manage . Huh? l
want the hotel mana Well, that's what
said. Miss Mamie May says she'll take
| that room today-huh? Miss Mamie May
says Well, can't talk any louder No,
I'm not deaf, either Miss 4>inny May
says-did you get that? Well, l might
as well ring off-please say that again
r-o-o-m-why of course-pease talk
louder your voice buzzes so. you must be
| too near the phone-huh?-O-h. see,
huh, huh-to come down. Oh. yes, uh.
huh-no 1 didn't catch that-well, all
right I'll tell her
Then the long-distance girl said to me
in her nice leisurely way: It's all right.
You are to come right down and talk it
over with him-ninety cents please
II didn't just see why l should have to
talk with the manager. but when l saw
him at dusk-of course, l missed the
fast train-he told me that he had under
stood by the message that / had given
up the room. and there wasn't a vacant
spot in the house. My dear. there wasn't
a vacant spot on the whole place, so L
took the next train for Philadelphia.
There was more of it. but the person
who was listening felt that she had had
enough.
Two peek-a-boo women were discuss
ing third.
The third woman could not have been
going the way she should, for one of the
peek-a-boos, after moving her character
and clipping 1t fine around the edges
finished her job with:
Yes. and while her husbands off on
his runs, she spends his good money
flying around with that finity of hers
What won talkin' about? He amt
her finity. He's her mash. A finity has
got to be a woman"
1t is always well to know these nice
distinctions.
An old man was walking close to the
high fence around the Children's Hos
pital.
He went at snail's pace because he
was lame and he felt the fence care
fully with every step, because both eyes
were closed.
Another man said to the woman with
him: ..f ~
what do you suppose that old chap