Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-12-02
The traffic superintendent was a

| Inc franc superintendent was
good telephone man, but his ear wa
close to the earth and, when prom
inent person stamped a foot,
sounded like an earthquake to him.
| On this particular morning Lillial
was in exactly the right frame o
mind to convince such an officia
that she was a very dangerous younl
lady to have as an employee. I thinl
Lillian was capable of giving tn
traffic superintendent a thorough!
accurate estimate of Mrs. E. Paysol
Smith, and she undoubtedly did. Sh'
probably looked the superintendent
squarely in the eye while she did it
and very likely her voice was as clear
and metallic as silver bell, too.
Anyway, Lillian was promptly fir
ed.
During the interview, however
Charles Kellen was present
"Charlie" Kellen was not traffic
man, but he was one of the smooth.
est" cleverest, commercial men in
the business and the traffic superin.
tendent had sent for him as the best
possible emissary to send to Mrs
Smith with the company's apology
on silver platter.
"Well, do you feel better?" ask
ed Mr.. Kellen, when Lillian left the
room. -..
"My!" exclaimed the traffic super
intendent, "we are lucky to get rid
of her."
"Who, Mrs. E. Payson Smith,"
Kellen asked, smilingly.
"This is nothing to joke about,
Charlie. Mrs. Smith is one of the
biggest club women in town and we
certainly don't want to start any
thing with her."
"BeBaister, think you are wrong
in firing that girl"
Wrong! Are you crazy?"
IT believe Mrs. E. Payson Smith
has got your goat. You fired that
operator for telling Mrs. E. Payson
Smith only what you or l should
have told her long ago. OF course,
the operator shouldn't have taken it
upon herself to do our job-but
somebody had to do it sooner or lat
err. / think l will go and see Mrs.
Smith, :..
And before the traffic superintend-
ent finished gasping, Charlie Kellen
was out of the Office and in his auto
mobile on the way to Mrs. E. Payson
Smiths.
Mrs. E. Payson Smith had yellow
eyes with a green streak in them
and when she eyed Kellen with her
lorgnette, the pupils looked like long
Sits. She listened to his short, lev
el-headed story, which, together
with Lillfan's few short words over
the wire, was the first time she had
ever heard the truth from the tele-
phone company.
She ordered Kellen out of the
house in a particularly nasty way,
which was one Of her artistic accom-
plishments and,to see that the orders
were carried out promptly, she sum-
moned a butler, who was dressed in
a lavender livery with brass but
tons.
"The very idea of your daring to
come into my house and insulting
me the way you have! 1t is bad
enough to have subscribers cruelty
insulted over the line, by vulgar and
impudent operators. 1t is unendur-
able, however, to think that a COM
pany will send person of your
stamp to lady's house to talk to
her the way you have talked to me
this morning. From your remarks
you wish to infer that I have not
been perfectly ladylike in talking to
your operators. wonder that I have
been as patient and ss kind to them
as l have. | shall certainly take this
matter up with the ladies' clubs in
this city and see what we can do to-
wards having polite and decent girls
hired by the telephone company. In
the future do not care to have peo-
pie of your stamp come into my pres
ence and, if you attempt it again, ]
shall call in the police for protec-
ton against your vulgarity. Leave
my house Instantly"
Mrs. E. Payson Smith made mis-
take when she told Charles Kellen
that she was going to take the mat
ter up with the clubs. That was the
suggestion which gave him the idea
that makes my writing of this little
chapter Of history, possible.
Mr.. Kellen was a thoroughly COM
petent commercial manager Of pub
liz carvica cornorafion uo was IA