Connecticut western news., 1909-12-30
\ T[LEpH0HE STORY
By cHAuNcEY wARDVELL.

By CHAUNcEY WARDNELL. FCo?%"!cht :&}9. lay American "css Asso
 C.attuu.l There v.:,S a ring at the t,',rnh1ne. stepped to the instrument and took up the receiver. This is the d;.,icgue that followed:
 'Whu arc y0u:" asked Il voice.
 I'm Charlie Mullins. And you're George Greenwood. knew your voice the momrut you spoke. Great things. these tulephoucs"
 ''RemarIable. Your voice sounds equally natural
 I'm i'll luck. George. at your calling me up. l wanted to speak to you; but knowing you haven't phone in your , house, l couldn't. Now I've got you I'll tell you W hat want"
 Fire away"
 "The enemy has got hold of some pointers"
 "What enemy?"
 "Oh. you know-the galoot we were talking about this afternoon. He i; going to try to make a break between lie and Nell. want you as my best frieEd-aEd my best man. hope-to head him off" You mean Bert Thurston. (: 1 courSe?"
 "Ccrtainly."
 Well. what are his points?"
 'ln the first place. he's got hold of 1 the fact that Flint x Latham are pressing me for a bill of $500 for clothes"
 Hold OH minute. I'm called away. I'll be back in a second. Hold the wire.'
 In few minutes he returned and told me to repeat what had said. l repeated 1t. and when I had finished he told me t0 go on.
 The next thing the ScOuudrel has got hold of is that l hlve been en- gagged three times previous to my en- gagemeut to Nell"
 Il didn't get that"
 "He knows I've been engaged three times before my present engagement"
 How many timeS?"
 ''Three-three timeS--t-h-r-e-e."
 "All right. Anything else|'
 ''He knows l play poker"
 Didn't hear that. Repeat
 "He knows I play poker and some times for big stakes"
 What is it you play?"
 Poker"
 "Spell it."
 "P-o-k-e-r."
 All right. Anything elsc?"
 "Nothing, except the thraShing I gave him."
 There was no reply to this, and I asked, Did you get it?'
 "Ycs, I got that. You needn't re- peat"
 1 heard wOman'S voice as! What is it?" in d whisper. The connection was perfect or 1 would not have heard l got an idea that something was wrong. Any movement about an in strument produces clicking, and heard what made me believe there was a struggle for the receiver at the other end.
 'Is your sister in the room?" asked. "Y-e-S" "Give her the receiver"
 What is it?" in woman's voice. It flashed upon me that all this was q plan to trap me. had been talking to my enemy. who had been with my fancee. Doubtless she had asked him to call me up on the phone, and I had given myself away before she had got the receiver.
 "Is that you, Mary Greenwood?"
 "Y-e-s," hesitatingly.
 i've been telling George that Bert 1 Thurston claims to have a lot of charges against me, all of them groundless, except one, with which to effect a break between me and Nellie Clement"
 That's very mean. Whats the charge you admit?"
 Giving Bert thrashing"
 "A what?"
 "A thrashing - t-h-r-a-s-h-i-n-g. Do you get it?"
 "Yes. What did you thrash him for?"
 Speaking disrespcctfully of Nellie. That was before he had been intro duced to her and before he began to want her himself"
 You don't mean it.' Il do"
 But these charges especially about your being engaged three times before proposing to Nellie Clement. do you i deny thcm?"
 "Certainly. I told George that Bert has trumpcd up all these charges" Are you sure:' "Certainly. George knows what l said to him. George is my second brother and wouldn't misrcprcsent any 1 thing" l And then l heard scraps of sen 1 tenccs through the phone between the 1 two which convinced me that my sup position was correct The man was ThurstOn; the girl was Nellie
 'Lcavc this-and don't let me- ] In twinkling 1 had turned defeat