The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-08-05
SYNOPSIS.

SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I - Congressman Standish
and the Woman, believing themselves in
love. spend a trial week as man and wife
assumed names. The Woman awakens to
the fact that she does not love Standish
and calls their engagement off. Standish
protests undying devotion.
CHAPTER IL-Wanda Kelly. telephone
girl at the Hotel keswick, Washington. is
loved by Tom Blake, son of the political
boss of the house. He proposes marriage
and is refused.
I'm sorry" she said. 'T didn't
know it meant so much to you
DO you suppose l enjoy perching
up on this rail like a google-eyed Poll
parrot and squeaking Wanda, will
you marry me?' and getting a lemon
each time instead of a cracker?"
To turn the talk away from its old
trend, she broke in, almost at random:
"You don't realize the power of e
phone girls job. No outsider does.
People from a thousand different
points call up people at thousand
other points. Every pair of people
world at large and that just they two
can hear each other. Each of those
thousands thinks that. But the tele-
phone girl hears them all. l read in
an old book once about a demon
named Asmodeus who used to fit
about by night and lift the roofs off Of
houses to see what people we're doing.
If he were living now he could save
lot of time and work and bother by
getting a job at central. We
Buzz!
"Hlo!" droned Wanda. mo. Mr.
Blake hasn't come in yet. Any mes
sage? ARR
YES she went on in her own
voice; what the telephone girl doesn't
hear isn't worth the hearing"
The whole world under your two
little, little hands," he said softly,
reaching for one of them as he spoke
But the buzzer rushed to the rescue
of it's high priestess with a sudden
noisy purr.
Mrs. Robertson" droned Wanda
to the transmitter. Nom. Mrs. Rob
ertson is not at the Keswick. Did you
wish to be connected with Governor
Robertson's suite? Nom. l don't know
whether she's expected in Washington
soon or not. A'ri'
Friend of your sisters" she ex-
planned, turning from the transmitter
She said Mrs. Robertson wrote her
she was coming down from New York
some day this week"
Grace spends more time on the
trains during the session than she
does at home" laughed the youth
She wanted to close the New York
house and come down here to stay all
winter But Mark won't let her. But,
Wanda, you've simply got to listen to
me-" he went on with a return of his
boyish impulsiveness. 81 love you.
And Il
Mr. Blake!" she protested, half
laughing, half distressed, L"
Mr. Blake!" he echoed ruefully.
How long since I've been Mr.. Blake,
to you? Haven't I begged you to call
me 'Tom?' l always call you Wanda
Why can't you call me-"
81 am a telephone OPERATOR she
said with mischievous occurrences,
and you are Mr. Thomas Blake. promi-
nent on the district attorneys staff,
only son of the great Jim Blake, and
brother to woman the Sunday papers
call society queen"
Lord" he growled, ARE you trying
to ring social standing in on meat
this stage of the gamer"
IF you care to put it that way" she
answered more seriously, 81 certainly
am"
What rot"
Yes? Yet notice you didn't come
across to speak to me until Governor
Robertson had gone away. And you
never have thought to introduce him
to me when you and he have passed
here together. He has been governor
Of New York. He may some day be
president. Would it make any sort of
hit with him to have his brother-in-law
marry a telephone girl that half his
political friends have always been try
ing to jolly? Would he care to say to
| Mr. Neligan, for instance: Remember
| that little hello girl you wanted to
kiss and who slapped your face for 1t =?
| Well, she's my wife's sister-in-law.'
DON'T" exclaimed Tom Blake. at
isn't true. And
And pursued Wanda. would your
sister call on me at my boarding
| house? Would she ask me to come
and see herr"
would she?" cried Tom. clustering
! to drown a twinge of reasonable
doubt. you bet she would! You don't
know Grace. She's all right. AS white
as they make them. If she knew
| loved any girl at all-no matter who
| she'd be the very first to put her arms
| around her and-and-"
Then" said Wanda gently, don't
! tell her; and keep your ideal"
OH" he scoffed. nettled. you
! think"
| 'T think" she finished, Eve belong
! In the twentieth century and not In q