Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-11-29
Il Telegraph
Joke
lind HoqU 1t Turned
Out
By SCOTT KRdEHER
By SCOTT KR.fEMER
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911

telephone or telegraph wire There
is a fascination in operating from be-
hind a shield rendering one invisible
A girl wiz delight to say things to a
man who can't see her and doesn't
know who she Is. / was a telegraph
operator when a young man, and l
noticed this disposition in many a girl
operator with whom I talked over the
wire. l am a matter OF fact sort sof
a fellow myself and doubt IL 1t would
ever have occurred to me to bamboo
ze girl I'm this fashion had not the
girl shown a disposition to bambooxie
me.
She who first tried IT vas an oper-
ator at a station about twenty miles
away from me | was in the town of
NJ. while the girl was out at G.. a
way station some twenty miles dis
tant In the country She had more
time on her hands than l, and | sup.
pose this is what set her on to quizzing
me. She started In one night about
O'Clock after having taken a message
from me. beginning by asking me
what was going on in town: how
liked NJ; IL there was any fun going
on there and expressing her dislike at
being compelled to live In little way
station like G. From this we fell TO
talking about ourselves and naturally.
as persons Of opposite sex at that age
invariably do. finally drifted on TO love
and marriage. From love and mar
riage in general we dropped into spe-
cialties. at last narrowing the topic
down TO ourselves.
The girl led me along in the channel
she laid out herself till | admitted
that. marriage being a lottery. would
about as lief marry a girl ! had no
knowledge of as one had met and
loved All required was to know
that the girl | was to marry pos
sessed fair amount of good looks.
One thing led to another till II was
arranged that she should mail me her
photograph and | should send her
mine. Then II we were mutually
pleased we. might proceed further to-
ward forming an acquaintance with n
view TO matrimony.
The next day looked over my
stock of photographs--not OF myself.
put my friends-and. selecting one Of
sam Atkins. the best looking fellow
Ia the lot. ! sent IL 10 the girl. sam
MAS of at the Spanish American war
at the time. and l trusted TO his get
mug shot or dying OF disease 50 that
taight not get into trouble by pass
l.i- him OFF for myself. In return
.eeeived u picture of rather pretty
girl. who judged from her features
was full of the Old Nick. the very
one to get up just such complication
as we were entering upon. On her
lips was an engaging smile and In her
eyes very saucy look.
After that the wires began to warm
| up with our conversations. till at last
| they came TO a white heat with love
| passages. When we had fred lot OF
| such missiles at each other we began
10 talk about meeting. At my pro-
posal to go to see her she cooled down
| exuberanee was the result Of fighting
behind a masked battery. l made sew
erai propositions to 60 to see her on
| certain day and hour. but for every
time set she gave some reason why
it would be inconvenient or impossi-
BILE for her to receive me. At last 1t
occurred to me to go up and look her
over without an appointment Never
having seen me. abe wouldn't know
\ me-
So one day. having secured a leave.
| started to see my charmer. On ar
rival l walked up into the village and
on the street met my girl. whom /
recognized ut once by her photograph.
| followed her into several shops and
finally to a yellow house that stood
back from the street She went into
the house. and having waited half an
hour for her to come out ] concluded
she lived there.
l knew q man In the place, Tom
Foster. and. hunting him up. told him
that there was a girl In the town l
wished to know. He said there was
going to be dance that evening and
ali the girls In the place would be
there. He would take me with him
and II he knew the girl wished to
meet he would introduce me.
thought that an excellent plan. since
It would give me the advantage Of
keeping my affairs to myself. Icould
sbtain an Introduction to different
girls without my introducer knowing
the one / was especially interested in.
That evening ! went with Foster
to the hall where the dance was to
take place. He asked about the girl
wished to know and why l wished to
know her and all that. but l evaded
his questions | didn't propose to let
the girl herself know that l was the
fellow she had been making love to
over the wire-at least till had learn
ed all about her.
She was there sure enough. looking
IS pretty as picture-a brunette. with
4 DrofuSion NJ lot black hair a stately