The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-24
A JEALOUS
TELEPHONE
By M. QUAD
By M. QUAD
copyright, 1876 by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

Lansing, and his deaf mother kant
mouse for him. In the village ahova
mentioned lived Ellen Wilcox with her
iatner and mother. Henry was twen-
ty-tWo years old and Ellen ninetaon
one DAY when Howe had sold a load of
stove wood at the Wilcox home he and
Ellen met. They looked good TO each
other. Then began a courtship that
TASTED almost year, and there was
put one break in it. That was when
Ellen went to picnic which Henry
couid not attend, and Henry the next
SUNDAY for revenge took out driving a
glrl he had once kissed at a husking.
Ihls break In Cupid's plans lasted
month, and people had begun tn say
tnat 1t was of forever when the con-
pie made up. The turtledoves cooed
again, and in the course of a month
they We're married,
All went merrily for the next tbrea
months, and then came a fiend in I'm.
man shape. He was agent for n tele-
phone company, and he advanced about
LOU reasons why Henry should install
one OF the instruments in his peaceful
home The young bride advanced her
reasons also, and after giving a week
or two's thought to the matter Henry
oruered In the wonderful little thing.
One day a sewing machine agent
came along the road where Henry was
at work and pulled up for a talk. He
leo the conversation around to that
sunday school picnic and Henry's bug
gy ride and presently said:
Did you ever see the Teller that es-
corted your wife to that picnic?"
why, there was no fellery' was the
surprised reply.
"Oh, wasn't there? How a woman
can fool man! You have gone and
put In a telephone. l don't say that
Keller is still in the village, but If he is
how easy for your wife and he to have
a dozen conversations a day over the
wire! Have you thought of that?'
Say, old man, don't get off any
trash like that" cautioned the farmer.
Tnere was no Teller, tell you. and IL
there was he did not make a mash.
Don't try to stir up any trouble here"
"Oh, am not one to stir up trou-
ble," said the agent, and he drove along
to the house and entered it. He knew
ne could not make sale of a machine,
for one was there already. He said
to the wife: II was one of those who
thought you and Henry had broken of
for good. In fact, made bet of $40
that he would marry the other girl"
Aren't you bit impudentp' queried
the young wife as she flushed ND.
"But didn't mean to be, Mrs. VIII
COX. l was just thinking how handy
that telephone was for him. Her father
also has telephone in his house, and,
II she and Henry wanted to talk, there
you are. He could slip In here a dozen
times a day, and II he didn't talk too
loud you could not hear him from your
work in the kitchen"
IF you have no other errand you had
better drive along" was the quiet sug-
gestion.
Henry did not tell her that he had
seen the agent that day, and she did
not tell Henry that she had seen him
either.
Despite the way they had answered
him he had planted a seed of distrust
and jealousy which presently took root.
Henry took his mother out to the
! barn, where his shouts In her ear
would not reach the wife In the house.
and told her to keep count every day
of the times his wife used the tele-
phone. The wife managed to hang
around every time Ellen was telephon-
| ing, and she strained her ears to hear
every word.
One day there was ring, and Henry
was called for. He had just come up
from the field and made an excuse
rushed for the telephone, and the wife
rushed after him. She could not hear
what was said by the other party, but
she thought there was blush on his
| face as he answered. After a talk of
two minutes he replied to the other
party that he would be there about s
o'clock in the evening This was alto
gether too bold. She was being hu-
inflated in her own house Henry
was wearing his hat. She cuffed 1t
of his head and blazed forth:
Henry Howe, if you are going to
see that girl this evening win follow
you every step Of the way. and viii
pull every hair out Of her head!"
you had better stay home and talk
over the wire to the Teller who escorted
you to the Sunday school picnicg' be
retorted.
Taunts were flying back and forth
when a thunderstorm that had been
gathering for the last hour suddenly
broke. and a thunderbolt instead OF
striking the barn made straight wake
for the house. 1t knocked about hun
dred shingles of the roof, wrecked
bedstead upstairs and then tore that
telephone out by the roots and pros
trated man and wife and mother. 1t
did not seriously injure them, and In
half an hour they were able to sit up
and smell the birthstone and survey
the desolation.
"Goodg exclaimed Henry as he
pointed to the telephone lying on the