The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-12-30
A Telegraphic
Filtration
BY MAY C. ETHERIDGE

as II was finished the operator WIFI
sent 1t said good night to me. 1 re
piled that | wished | could say goot
night to all the world, for | was tired
and sleepy and would like to go TO bed
This resulted In a bit of conversation
In which my correspondent used GER
| tain masculine phrases that indicated
| him to be a man. But when / asked
If he were man he surprised me by
saying that he was woman. Next
/ was asked as to my sex, and, half
suspecting that the operator was try
ing to humbug me, i replied that | was
a man.
Then followed a period Of love max
ing In which / as the man took the
lead. I found 1t very difficult TO make
love as n man would, and the effort
constituted the principal part of the
amusement | derived from the affair.
When | had nothing better to do
would write out certain lover-ike
phrases. then go over them, taking out
the feminine give Always, substituting
masculine phrases. These l would use
in the corrected form the next time
my lady called me up. ] fiattered my
self that In this way l would avoid the
appearance of being woman.
My correspondent. IL a man, which
he claimed not to be. surely played the
womanly part very well. He used
very flowing language and expressed
himself with such words as II de-
clarev' That's just too funny for any
thingr' Goodness gracious!' while I
gave vent to "The dickens you say!'
"Cut 1t out" and 'You betW
While had been led to believe my
correspondent was man, constant
use Of feminine expressions altered
my opinion. / did not believe any man
could avoid making some slip that
would give him away. certainly
found 1t almost impossible to avoid re-
vealing myself as woman and re-
allied that / could only do so in the
manner / have ndicated-that is, by
writing my phrases and correcting
them.
We exchanged, or pretended TO ex-
photographs, though mine was !
one of my cousin, a handsome fellow |
about twenty-five. My correspondent |
was a comely girl with a spark of mis-
chief In her eye. 1t was this express
sion that convinced me my correspond
ent was a girl. AS l looked at her /
it struck me that she was
lust the person TO indulge in such
wise Irritation as was being carried on
between US. looked forward with
pleasure to the day when we would
meet and should see the look of sur
rise on her face when she discovered
Ter mistake.
To accomplish a meeting and apply
test at the same time | proposed that
{ my correspondent were coming my
way he should call and see me. IL he
we're really a man he would not scru-
lie to do so IL she were woman
nd believed me to be a man she
you'd not come to see me, but expect q
ne to come and see her She stood :
he test When / made the PROPOSE !
ion she expressed herself as greatly !
urprised that | should do so, saying s
hat she would not think of going to
all on a man She would, however, /,
e happy to have the man call upon
er.
II there was any doubt left In my q
lind that my operator was a woman \
lis dispelled Il. apologized for what g
called my thoughtlessness and said G
rat | would take an early opportuni-
Z 20 call upon her Nevertheless II Il
lould turn out that some man had
zen representing himself as a woman
would be embarrassing for me. so
concluded TO forego the pleasure OF
ughing at the girl and let the matter
Top.
One morning a young man alighted
ON a train. came into the station.
rote a telegram and asked me 70 send
The message was an unimporiant
.e. simply stating that be would be
a certain place az a certain date.
united the words. told him the price
the message. and be threw down the I,
oney But he kept me az the win X
wv asking me questions about the Il
wn. bow FAR II was TO this place and
at place and the running Of trains
; was deferential. and I was not dis
aased 10 answer bis questions ~
nally broke away 10 send bis mes Z.
ge. and Is did 50 be called 70 me: -
N the party IL not found tell them !,
leave the message" Ebs
Ie went OF uptown. but returned IN ~
ont an hour with some flowers and
rancing % the window. laid them
the board over which messages are
eived end asked me ~ be might not
"a telegram himself Since be al
aw the Morse alphabet and thought ~
could stumble through one A. 81
ted. and. coming into the operating ~
IN BE- sat down 81 the Instrument ''a
J began % rntfle 0T with the %.
> ~ e professional teierrapher the
ue and address FOR tire message IN.
? address being the station u No 49,
respondent Z prictrd % ny ears. "a
J message reed -.
have fruns -f.s ar.r~rf1- 80 rs $3.50 irt
.enfirH En- bs r rfHn. End are ts ws- fN.
Hs 49, rlalr frurr tie cnnsrarf nHs ~
Deer us Ehe e errnaF auH a. -
f1rs. trws b~enrff hrr H1rns nuw-
-Hh fhst b. furuea uth srarkls -
hrs 80 o. fu1 ne staring e. tim -