The Bottineau courant., 1912-03-15
]. Doing Two I hings
At Once
~ OSCAR cox

went into d pay telephone station
TO send u message. The place was in
care Of young lady, who worked q
typewriter as well.
How much for I city message?'' /
asked.
Ten cents
Where's the booth.?"
lover there"
How the girl could carry on, the con.
versation with me and 60 on working
her typewriter couldn't conceive. I
would not have been able to do any.
thing else when talking with her. She
never stopped her clickety-click once
during the brief interview. vowed
that before l got through with her l
would make her stop rattling the keys
If ! had to pull her hair. However, for
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. y city
message?'
Perhaps she didn't hear: At any rate
she made no reply, keeping on ham
mering the keys.
Can you change q five dollar bill?''
mo"
"a dollar?''
EMO"
'''Well, here's 10 cents.'
She stopped just long enough to- take
the 10 cents, open 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 message?' ask
ed.
She turned her head toward booth
without speaking or ceasing to play
the typewriter. went into the booth.
left the. door open and called up Char
ley Jones-that is, I pretended to do So
.'Hello, Charley-is that you? I'm in
telephone station. want to ask
you something. Do you consider it
polite II a 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 civil?"
l 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 it. My scheme had no
more visible effect on the girl than if
she had been stone deaf.
"You say you think she deserves a
jilting? Well, what Is fellow going
to do IL he has no authority, no way
of infiicting punishment, no hold what
ever?''
I 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:
"Not let it bother me? How can l
help 1t? 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. l have q mind to try
flowers"
Again listened for further sugges-
lions from Charley.
"'Oh, that's all very well for talk, but
It isn't the real thing. When q fellow
can't sleep nights, can't eat and all
that, what's he going to do? However,
I'll try the flowers; IL they don't i'm
prove matters I'll call you up again.
Goodby."
I hung up the receiver, went to the
girl and asked "how much?"
Ten cents" e., 4S
/ I took out dime, laid It on the desk
beside her and went out. There was
not q sign Of interest, In her face, and
i was literally clicked out onto the
sidewalk. Il
The next day went back with a
bouquet Of flowers, and, walking de-
murely up to the girl, handed them
TO her. saying
1--WE bothered you so much during
the last few days and you have been
SO patient, SO a6fable, 80 amiable, so
kind that I feel impelled to offer you
some reparation."
MY assurance was too much for her.
She leaned back In her chair while a
peal OF musical laughter rang out from
her beautiful throat. At the same time
she reached out for the howerss press
Ing them to her face. The victory was
won, the ice was broken.
Here's the 10 cents for Charles
message" she said, handing out the
dime ! had given her the day before.
There's no charge for one sided mes
sages. !"