Norwich bulletin., 1914-10-10
THE PARTY LINE.

crepe de chine first?" came the query, from the village dressmaker, Judged. And Mis- Hanlkins, s'pose you try Nils Dr. Phipps' wayf She jest sWears laces in front, you know! Sex they reduce her better than any she's ever tried!"
 Mercy! I blushed. to be caught overhearing such intimate condolences and guiltily hung up again!
 In evaporation, l decided to adopt my hosts suggestion. would wait until 1t was pretty certain that all the villagers were in bed-then call up Johnson, at his home. I remembered his night-owl habits.
 By half-past ten. the resonant snor- ing of the hired man from his loft, the general quiet of the house and ticking of the clock in the front hall seemed proof that the wire must be free. So I tip-toed down to the sitting | room, rrepared to converse in comfort with Johnson, in his distant city home. | Joytully I lifted the receiver from it's hook.
 Alack! It was apparent that there | were some slcepless ones in Bayberry | Junction! I jest tell you this, Liz HooDeri"
 snarIed an irate female voice, 'If you don't send my husband home and stop ' BraZen jade!"
 | Like a culprit. stole up the stairs and into my bed! Tomorrow. I re- solved, would telegraph Johnson and | write to my Texas lady. That was about the way it was, dur | ing the week of my stay. To be honest, did get a chance to telephone a tel | egram once or twice; but always with the conviction that every house in the | village knew all about my message! When it came time for my departure. as Farmer Corntossel was driving me back to take the train. ventured to express my sentiments on the subject of party wires.
 He chuckled in his dry way. q reckoned you'd find out that a tele- phone want unmitigated blessin', as the parson ssez! But I ain't a-say- in one word against that party line 1! It cured my cousin Saphiry Spicer | when she was e'en-a-most bed-ridden! An that's the solemn truth!" | Well, well! How was that?" l ''Wa-al, you see, (Gid-dap, Jennyi) | Saphiry's son, Lige, he married a red abide; and from pure spitefulness, Sa- phiry she took t her bed, Lige, hs never lowed that it was his marvin but he jest had his mother doctoret fer it: aPpath, and homepath, an New Thoughters; an they tried blist
 
 CTS on her chest-Saphiry hadn't los her grit, by emmy means; an she pu up big fight against them plasters
 Tt want but a few days after th line wuz opened when word wen round that Saphiry had left her be, | and wuz actually up an dressedi Ar But wuz actually up an dressed! Ar the very next Sabbath, I swanny she didn't pear out t. meetin,! Lam
 sakes! Tn resurrection O Lazaru couldn't a made more of a stiri
 She was lool1in' that happy an i'm portant like, an quickern wildfire tt
 word went round that her brothe . come forty years ago-that he must :
 neither Saphiry nor Lige nor his wifi
 would Tow that it wuz SOL Come next sewin' society, Wednes
 tn parsonage but Saphiry, big as Tiff was shinin' an all the wimminfoik
 got tn money sure-an' Q, good wa, of it; or else that she'd repented an meant t take or Deacon Bliven, that ben a-courtin' her since her husban died, twenty year ago!"
 And which was it, a legacy or tn Deacon?" I inquired.
 Law. Twann't neither of them Miry Judkins, the dressmaker, sh found out what made saphiry git vel so quick. Tn very mornin after tn
 sewin' society-it wuz October, recollect, an Lige and his wife ar