The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-14
EVENING CHAT
By RUTH CAMERON.

Scene, a lawyers office. Time, four
in the afternoon. OyerN orked young
lawyer sits at his desk, leaning his
head on his hand, his eyes closed.
Everybody else gone home.
Phone rings.
Overworked young lawyer reaches
out, draws phone toward him and
takes off the receiver.
: o. Y. L. Hello
Voice at phone: Hello, is this
Q. Y. l.: Eyes: who is it,"
v. A. P: Don't you recognize my
voice ?"
o. Y. L.: mo, don't. Hold on. is
it Weeks? No? Then I'm afraid L
V. A, P: .wer. it's no wonder.
You never heard me speak before. But
you've heard of me. This is st. VAL
entine.'
o. Y. L.: rs that so? Howdedo,
ST. Valentine. I'm verv much hon
ored to hear from you. It's your birth
man Anything special can DO for
your"
V. A.. P: Eyes. there is. That's
why 1 called you up. You haven't done
a thing to celebrate my birthday and
want you to-
o. Y. L.: 'sNow that's too bad. I'll
sure do something right off. Just what
would you suggest?''
VA. P: 81 want you to go out and
buy a valentine for some youngster.
You haven't done that for some years,
you know
O. VI: "say, st. Valentine, that's
great idea. I'll do it at once. I
wish I'd thought of it myself, but I've
been so tarnation busy-you know how
it isl
v A p: eyes, know. I've been
some busy myself rounding up people
n fr1er I1or77
my birthday. Kind of embarrassing
work, too. And say, if it's just as con-
venient to you, young man, I wish
you'd send that valentine to some child
who won't get a dozen others. I've
heard a great deal of talk lately about
nv old friend Santa's getting to be a
respecter of persons. Someone said
that he was getting so tony that he'd
leave a dozen toys for the baby in the
brown stone house, and just because
the chimney didn't look stylish
enough. he'd leave the little girl in the
tenement to cry her eyes out Christ
mas morning because there WASH
ANYTHING but holes in her stockings.
Now I don't want anything like that
said about me-
o. Y. l.: THAT'S right, st. Valen-
| tine I'll remember. Let me see- How
would the little girl that brings my
wash back to me do?''
! v. A. P: Fine young man, fine.
see Bradcourt was more than right
| o. Y. L.: who's Bradcourt? Never
| heard of him.
v. A. P: ooh, don't you know
about him? Why, Bradcourt's where
your rating is kept-what asset OF
kindheartedness and good will and sc
forth you have. I consulted him be-
| fore l started telephonfng. I didn't
want to waste time calling up anyone
who was insolvent, you know. And
found you stood well. A good deal OF
Ithoughtfulness was your only heavy
liability Well, so long. I've spent
about three times as long as I should
with you, but it's such q pleasure to
talk to anyone who gets my ideas sc
readily What's that? Where did
Isay I was calling from? L didn't
Click, bzzzzz-phone goes crazy.
| o. Y. L.: Hello, hello-what's the
trouble?'' Jiggles the phone up and
down wildly.
| Operators voice: Number"
| O. Y. L.: 81 don't want any num-
Der. 1 want the man I was talking
with
/ Operators voice Gin sweet singsong)
ssThere is no one on the line now.
will call you if anybody wants you
o. Y. L. tlloughtfully hangs up the
Receiver rubs his eyes, smiles sheep
lishly and then gets up and puts on his
That and coat and goes down the street