Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-12-09

rest room one day and asked him to
call at our landlady's to learn some
thing about the beginning of all the
telephone interest. You may be sure
he kept the appointment on the dot.
I did not tell Lillian anything about
| it. so I had him alone in little par
lor where we lived. You may be
sure | told him the story without
forgetting any of the details, and
when it came to telling about Lii
liam, l certainly waxed enthusiastic.
where is this young woman?" he
asked, II want to see her right
away"
"Well, if you promise not to tell
her what I have told you, I'll get
her. She's upstairs now"
"Tll promise anything, only let me
have talk with her. Can't you get
me her picture too?"
| l scampered upstairs, three steps
at a time, but when l came to our
room, 1 entered very demurely and
told Lillian there was a gentleman
down in the parlor who wanted to
see her about telephone matters.
"Why, Ellen" she demonstrated,
"do you suppose I'd see anybody
about telephone matters? You tell
him I'm not in"
"Now, Lillian, don't be silly! l
have already told him that you were
upstairs and that you would be very
glad to come down with me. Maybe
he wants to see you about new
job,' I fibbed.
"Who is he, and what does he
look like?"
ooh, 1 don't know. Come down
and see."
When Lillian was going out of the
! door, l stayed behind just long
enough to get one of her pictures
out of my trunk.
Reporters are the most tactful
people ever Saw. uc way HC WIN
Lillian's sympathy and got the
whole story out of her, was truly
remarkable and he did it without
arousing her suspicious.
WELL" he said, I'm going to
see what | can do to get you posi-
tion.. | think there are about 500
places in this big city where they
are looking for just the kind of
girl you are. ! am mighty glad to
have met you and hope to have the
pleasure and honor of seeing you
again"
Just as he was going out of the
door, 1 slipped him Lillian's picture.
That night! Oh that night! When
the evening papers came out, there
was picture of Lillian, a foot high
on the front page and the reporter
had the story in exactly right
But, he went away beyond the
story and the little frills he put in
about the beautiful operator, with
expert fingers, the girl with the sill
very voice and dear knows what all;
almost made me cry when read it
1T was so like Lillian!
When Lillian saw it, l thought
she would die-she was the maddest
girl in seven counties. That was
my evening on the shift at the ex-
change and / certainly didn't lose
minute in getting down there to
escape Lillian's wrath. She was too
mad to cry. When a girl is too mad
to cry, it is high time even for her
best friends to escape, but I was
pleased, for the story certainly did
Lillian justice. Still, at that time,
| had no idea of the consequences.
The next day there was about a
ton of letters delivered at the tele-
phone Office addressed to Lillian,
complimenting her, commencing
her, wishing her luck, and dear
knows what all. Half dozen extra
admirers sent her boxes of flowers.
And then came my turn. The next
night the reporter gave an account
of my part in the affair.
The traffic superintendent was the
maddest man in the telephone bust
ness that day. I heard, on pretty
good authority. that several dozen
letters were addressed to the COM
pany asking for his resignation. To
get ahead of my story, he was trans
ferred to another city, 500 miles dis
tant, inside of the next six weeks. |
don't know whether Lillian was to
blame for that or not.
The effect of Mrs. Perron's cam
paign was felt for months. Doubtless
great many subscribers had their
attitudes toward the operator chang
ed for life, but I am getting too far
ahead of my story, now.