The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-12-29

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and all the town bells would be
madly ringing; the factory whis-
ties would be footing; horns would
shrill raucously; the restless crowds
surging aimlessly through the streets
would raise voices in the hysterical
pandemonium that customarily wakes
the dying year into extinction.
"Then," said Myrtle the telephone
girl to herself, then my busy time
commences. Every lunatic in town
will begin trying to get his or her
friends on the wire to yell Happy
New Year Everybody will be want
ing their numbers at once and all sore
because the telephone company hasn't
put in 5000 extra wires for their es-
pecial convenience tonight"
The metal loop with the receiver at
her ear had grown irksome and heavy
on Myrtle's head. Her hand raised to
adjust it more comfortably just as
one Of the little white lights flashed on
before her.
"Number please" (plugging the hole)
.. Grand 1854 What did you
say Yes, 1 know I have sweet
voice. but my name don't happen to be
'Kiddo' There you are"
Just then another light flashed in
Myrtle's section.
Number please :. Riverview 4197
. Thank you d.. What? Oh, l
beg your pardon I'LL"
"Why don't you listen as you're paid
to do?' growled back mans voice
over the wire. His articulation was
thick, hoarse. Evidently he was labor
ing under some tremendous strain.
However it is not for the mere tele-
phone operator to resent, whatever her
provocation.
"4111, thank you," said Myrtle in
the same pleasantly modulated tone as
before and made the proper connec-
ton. But not even then being certain
that she had correctly understood the
mans thick directions, she cut in on
the line to listen for moment and SO
forestall further complaints from him.
With the receiver clamped tight to
her ear she could hear the phone bell
buzzing family across the city-in a
house, Myrtle judged, because the Riv-
erview exchange lay in the aristocratlc
residential section. Buzz-Buzz-zz-z.
Then came a woman'S voice-soft,
sweet and low.
Hello ;. Oh, is that you, jim: l
had gotten quite anxious about you. l
expected you home to dinner tonight.
You promised, you know. -. And
'Snookums' was so disappointed when
I had to tuck him in bed without kiss
ing his papa good night. He was SO
excited by all the noise on the streets
and kept asking me if his bad daddy
wouldn't come home early to him on
New Years eve. I really think you
might have, Jim, because"
"Oh, I know! I know" interrupted
the mans voice impatiently, although
he evidently was making a strong ef-
fort to conceal his distraught condition
from her. Business detained me at
the Office later than I anticipated, Ed
ma, and afterwards >. afterwards
Harry Forbes dropped in and we went
out for a bite to eat together"
But you'll be home right away now,
won't you, dear?" pleaded the woman's
voice coaxingly. "Please don't stay
any later. I've promised 'Snookums'
that you'll be home to wish him Hap
py New Year while the whistles are
still blowing"
81 can't possibly make it now .
there's big deal we're talking over"
"Jim"-reproachfully q thought
you assured me you never would dab
BILE In the market again after that last
time when you risked all we had in the
world simply on the chance of making
a few dollars without really earning
it."
Edna, IL"
Jim, your very voice sounds queer
1y. Nothing has gone wrong at the Of
fee there today, has there, dear?''
"No q. No, nothing" came the
mans voice YEARLY, soothingly. Don't
worry now No use any more. Elk
cuse me if I spoke sharply, little girl.
I'm tired out-that's all :. Yes, yes
.. Good-by, dearest one"
The receiver clicked sharply and the
listening Myrtle experienced sense of
physical relief, the exact reason for
which she would have been at loss
to explain. How strangely the man
had intoned his good-bye-almost as
If he never expected to be able to say
it again to the wife he loved. 1t was
as if
Eyes, number please -. Oh"
1t was the voice of the same man
speaking GROSSLY over the wire
'Get me Grant 6212-quick :" he
growled. I'm in hurry
She plugged the proper hole con-
Meeting him and listened for mo-
ment.
Hello. Grant 6212? the Morgue?
Well, this is James P. Thornton talk.
ing. Yes, JAMES Thornton of ],
z. Thornton, Inc. I'm about to COM
NIT suicide in my Office at 1873 Stock
Exchange building. If you'll send your
men over here within Is minutes
they'll find my body here q. . Doors