The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-23
Doing Two Things
At Once
By OSCAR cox

| asked.
"Ten cents
where's the booth?"
"Over there"
How the girl could carry on the con
versation with me and go on working
her typewriter couldn't conceive.
would not have been able to do any
thing else when talking with her Sh,
never stopped her clickety click once
during the brief interview. | vowed
that before | got through with her
would make her stop rafting the keys
If had to pull her hair However, fol
the time being | was satisfied and, go
ing into the booth. delivered my mes
sage. When | came out asked how
much.
City or long distance?'' she asked
still punching the typewriter.
city"
"Ten cents"
Isn't that pretty steep for city
message?
Perhaps she didn't hear. At any rate
she made no reply. keeping on ham,
mering the keys.
"Can you change FIVE dollar bill?"
"No."
"a dollar?"
mo"
"Well, here's 10 cents"
She stopped just long enough to take
the 10 cents, open a drawer then re-
commenced the clicking. | said good
morning." but she made no response.
The next day | went into the tele-
phone Office again.
Can | send city messenger" ask
ed.
She turned her head toward a booth
without speaking or ceasing to play
the typewriter. l went into the booth.
left the door open and called up Char
ley Jones-that is. pretended to do so.
'Hello. Chariey-is that you? I'm In
a telephone station. / want to ask
you something. Do You consider it
polite If q gentleman has business re-
lations with young lady for her TO
ignore all except what is absolutely
essential to the transaction. or should
she be ciyil?"
! held the receiver to my ear. keep
ing my eyes on the girl was pre-
tending to listen to what Charlie had
to say about 1t. My scheme had no
more visible effect on the girl than IL
she had been stone deaf,
You say you think she deserves a
jilting? Well, what is a fellow going
to do II he has no authority, no way
of inficting punishment, no hold what
everT
paused again for reply that never
came. There was no apparent interest
in what / was saying on the part Of
the girl; she didn't even write a mite
faster or slower. proceeded:
mot let it bother me? How can I
help It? I'm all broken up over It,"
Another interval for Charley to say
something more.
Candy She wouldn't have it-that
is, from me- have a mind to try
flowers"
Again I listened for further sugges-
lions from Charley.
"oh, that's all very we'll for talk, but
IT isn't the real thing. When a fellow
can't sleep nights, can't eat and all
that, what's he going to do7 However,
I'll try the flowers; If they don't i'm
prove matters I'll call you up again.
Goodby."
hung up the receiver, went to the
girl and asked "how much?"
Ten cents"
/ took out a dime, laid IL on the desk
beside her and went out. There was
not sign of interest in her face, and
| was literally clicked out onto the
Sidewalk.
The next day went back with
bouquet of flowers, and, walking de-
murely up to the girl. l handed them
10 her, saying:
1--WE bothered you so much during |
he last few days and you have been |
20 patient, so affable, so amiable, so /
kind that l feel impelled to offer you
some reparation."
She leaned back in her chair while
peal of musical laughter rang out from
her beautiful throat At the same time |
'he reached out for the flowers, press
ng them to her face. The victory was
won, the ice was broken.
Here's the 10 cents for Charles !
she said, handing out the 4
lime had given her the day before. !
There's no charge for one sided mes
ages"
How do you know?"
by the ring, or, rather, the want of
T."
"And you'll keep the flowersT"
Certainly, and / can't sleep nights
or the obligation I'm under to you for
me how ! must have appear
d to persons coming in here on bust
less. The truth is, the Interruptions
re so frequent that l have become
ccustomed to going right on with my
york. merely noddlng toward the booth
nd taking the pay"
II expect you'll have to keep it up
7hile you're trying to do two things
t once
After this I did great deal of tele-
honing. had an instrument put into
~ house and went frequently to the
ay station. professedly to send mes
ages, but really to chat with the man
ger. took up so much of her time
lat she was finally discharged But