The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-05-01
A Telegraph
Joke
By SARAH BAXTER


comic episodes that have occurred be-
tween telegraph operators. Irefer more
particularly to those Of the opposite
sex. / have been telegraph operator
for twenty years, and / can count five
marriages between operators that l
know OF personally And three or
these began by the sending Of mes
sages between persons who had never
seen each other.
When | was young man | was To-
place where there was no recreation
whatever. spent most OF my time
I'm the Office, and in order to get away
with the time when i was not busy
| kept books there. | read everything
| could get to read and even then
there were times when | was hungry
for something to do. One evening
was called on for some information
about n train by an operator some dis
tance down the road and, being par
ticuarly lonesome, asked If there was
anything going on "at your statl"n."
/ was dying for something to break
the monotony Of my existence, and II
there was q ball or barn dance l
would run over by the next train.
My correspondent replied that there
was nothing on hand for that evening,
but there would be q dance In Aeolian
hall in few days. / asked IL he
would get me an Invitation, but he re-
tNI AhnN
tickets being for sale to any one who
could pass the committee, and he didn't
think / would have any trouble.
l had said nothing over the wire
about whether was man or woman,
nor had my correspondent. / assumed
that he was man, and he talked to
me as though he supposed me to be
man also. But presently he said some
thing that sounded feminine, and l
wondered II l was not talking with
woman. asked to which sex he belong
ed, and the reply came, "a man." But
there was a hesitancy between the "a
and "man" which led me to believe that
my suspicious were correct. Then 1t
occurred to me to say that / was wo-
man.
Upon this my correspondent began
to say some very gallant things to me.
Some Of them were without manly
ring and couched In phrases that wo-
man rather than a man would use.
replied. using as feminine language as
/ could command. and / flatter myself
| was very successful. Then came n
request for my photograph, and | con
sented TO an exchange. l have num-
Der Of pictures Of relatives and friends
and sent one Of my sisters, who had
the name Of being a very pretty girl
/ received one of fairly good looking
young man. Then my correspondent
and | INDUCED In any quantity Of fiat
terry, he telling me that was pretty
enough to kiss and telling him that
he was 'just too handsome for any
thing"
After several days, with occasional
chats over the wire, was still uncer-
tain whether | was chatting with a
man or woman. AS to my corre-
spondent, l couldn't infer from any
thing he said that he didn't believe me
TO be a woman. He invited me to 60
with him to the dance In Aeolan hall,
and | accepted the invitation with
thanks. He asked what train / would
come on and promised to have car
riage at the station to take me to the
dance | took lady friend into my
confidence. and she wrote out num-
bcr of questions for me to ask my
correspondent as to how l should ar
ray myself.
When the evening came round | got
myself up In the best clothes | had and
provided myself with bouquet. If my
correspondent should turn out to be
man our episode would have little sa
vor; II he were a woman 1t would be
Interesting. wondered If he were in
doubt about my sex and how. If wo-
man, she would receive me. My train
arrived at the station at p. m. and
the dance was to begin at $50. As
! the train drew up TO the station saw
! from the window several girls i'm their
best dresses standing together on the
! platform. One I'm the center of the
group held bouquet. / made up my
mind at once that my correspondent
was a girl and the one with the bou
quet. If she expected girl she would
not be looking out for one. alighted
from the train and walked right past
the group. none Of them taking any no.
tice Of me, but still on the lookout.
II was evident to me that they ex-
pccted one of their own sex, upon
whom they would have the laugh.
stepped up to them, my hat in one
hand and my bouquet In the other. and
asked the center one IL she were ex.
pccting me. The look OF surprise on
her face gave way before twinkle
In my eye TO one OF defeat: then the
whole party broke into a laugh.
handed the center figure my bouquet
ard accepted hers.
You've lost. Kitr' cried one OF the
girls. and the rest followed with good
natdred taunts.
"I have n corriapp for Won ns I Drom.