Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-01-14
thu TELEPHONE:
Call.
BY John n. McgeeIy.

pen that the telephone was busy all y
aftenoon?" inquired Mrs Ramfound q;
er, as her husband appeared at his q
home from the office. Il
Busy" exclaimed Ramfounder *
That's exactly what l said. {;
called you UP at least six or seven q 9;
times and couldn't get connection q
TOO bad" j
Mr.. Ramfounder don't need any g
of your feigned sympathy. I have s,
asked you a civil question and | ex y
pect a civil answer. Now there isn't 2
a bit of doubt that you We're talking to
some party, unknown to me, OF course, 8
because you are so secretive that you = :.
would not tell me, and l am certain
that | have no curiosity to find out, Y
the greater part OF the afternoon" 3
Il am accustomed to transact my =
business by tongue" replied the hus- p
band, mysteriously.
Just as thought Mr.. Ramfound- 8
er YOU have frankly admitted, then, q
that you have been talking with some
one over the telephone So far as
business is concerned, l do not have
to depend upon your statement as | ;,
can draw my own conclusions. You
were carrying ON with some girl, of \
course, and when"
you are mis-
Never mind contradicting me, Mr.. [
Ramfounder. 1t is just like you TO J
stand there and try to deceive me,
but | am so well acquainted with your /
personality that | have long ago be- |
ct oA6 To md
himsy apologies OF course, it is
plain now why / could not get con
nection. Here l have been calling and
calling at one end of the line for my
husband, while he is at the other
Warbllng lot of silly rubbish at a
blonde stenographer or probably one
OF those girls employed in some cigar
store. So this is the kind of use you
are putting your telephone to, is it,
MIR. Ramfounder? l suppose you We're
laughing up your sleeve when the OPP
orator informed you that | was ma
king desperate efforts to get connec-
tlon And then you went on talking
10 the other party ignoring my call
altogether. Well, it's just like you
You take an extreme delight in in
possible. Especially when you know
that | have something important to
communicate. But, Mr. Ramfounder,
you have taxed my patience too far.
Your repeated trials at deception have [
had their effect. / have not expected 7
much from wavering and frail weak
ling like you except the ordinary
courtesies due faithful, loving and
obedient wife. In even this you have
failed ANONYMOUSLY. You ought to
despise yourself for refusing to talk
to me over the telephone But no.
You were too busy with your childish
prattle to carry on serious conversa-
ton with member OF your own fam
lily, the one who has sacrificed every
thing in the world, including her moth
er and father, to make your home
happy and cheerful | want to ask
you what you mean by such"
III you will allow me to"
Mr.. Ramfounder, ! will not allow
you to tell me another one of your
fixed stories. You have probably
been racking your shallow and mar
row mind all afternoon, planning ~
excuse 10 tell me when faced you WITH
the truth. have had enough of them.
BW the day of reckoning has come,
and shall not be with you when you
Cry out ia remorse at having abused 7
and mistreated me. knowing, as you
do, that | have always made it point
to be proper whatever emergency may
arise, so that the neighborS can never
find the slightest provocation for say
ing anything against my character,
you take advantage of il TO humiliate
me. | want to inform you, Mr.. Ram
founder, that | had no callers at the
house when | tried to get you over
the telephone eight or nine times.
was alone, thank goodness! | realize
that you would have been tickled to
death if some OF my friends could |
have heard me making frantic and |
fruitless struggles to call up my hus
band by telephone. And they would
not be so ignorant as not to compre
bend that you We're conversing with
some new prey understand. | say
prey-of your admiration. No doubt |
could have induced the operator to
break in on the line and heard your
brilliant conversation, but | am too
honorable for that"
Mrs Ramfounder, beg to
What do you mean by having the
unmisgated audacity to address me.
Have you no conscience? You had
your opportunity 10 talk to me this
afternoon, but you preferred TO spend
your time conyersing with another
and deliberately repusing your wife.
Ii you had the least bit OF feeling you
would get down on your knees and
beg my forgiveness. But you are not
that kind. realize it now, after /
have married and lived with you 10
long years, only TO discover my birer
mistake after it is too late. | had my