The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-07-01
A JEALOUS
TELEPHONE
Ely Nj. QUAD
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate
Ely M. QUAD

henry howe was young FARMER |
living three miles from the village of |
Lansing. and his deaf mother kept
house for him. In the village above |
mentioned lived Ellen Wilcox with her
father and mother. Henry was TWEEN
ty-two years old and Ellen nineteen
One day when Howe had sold load of
stove wood at the Wilcox home he and
Ellen met They looked good to each
other. Then began a courtship that
lasted almost year, and there was
but one break in it. That was when
Ellen went to a picnic which Henry
could not attend, and Henry the next
Sunday for revenge took out driving a
girl he had once kissed at husking.
This break in Cupid's plans lasted
month. and people had begun to say
that it was off forever when the cou-
| pie made up The turtledoves cooed
| again, and in the course of a month
! they were married.
All went merrily for the next three
| months. and then came a fend in hui
man shape. He was agent for a tele-
/ phone company, and he advanced about
1
| one of the instruments in his peaceful
/ home The young bride advanced her
reasons also. and after giving week
or two's thought to the matter Henry
/ ordered in the wonderful little thing.
One day sewing machine agent
came along the road where Henry was
at work and pulled up for talk He
led 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 feller!9 was the
surprised reply.
'Oh, wasn't there? How woman
can fooI,a man! You have gone and
put in telephone. don't say that
Teller 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
There was no Teller, tell you. and i
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 be drove alon.
to the house and entered it. He knew
he could not make sale of a machine
for one was there already. He sale
to the wife: Il was one of those wht
thought you and Henry had broken of
for good. In fact, / made bet of Sill
that he would marry the other girl
a xrnI iY11r1 don
the young wife as she flushed up.
But | didn't mean to be, Mrs VII
cox. | was just thinking how hand
that telephone was for him Her fathe
also has telephone in his house, and
+ IL she and Henry wanted to talk, Their
r you are. He could slip in here a doze
times day. and if he didn't talk to
. loud you could not hear him from you
> work in the kitchen"
IF you have no other errand you ha
j better drive along was the quiet sue
r gestion.
' Henry did not tell her that he ha
' seen the agent that day. and she di
e not tell Henry that she had seen hi1
either.
U Despite the way they had answere
s him he had planted seed of distrus
and jealousy which presently took roo
Il Henry took his mother out to tn
barn. where his shouts in her ca
a would not reach the wife in the hous,
8 and told Der to keep count every da
e of the times his wife used the tell
II phone. The wife managed to han
around every time Ellen was telephol
e ing. and she strained her ears to hea
j. every word
e. One day there was a ring. and Henri
20 was called for. He had just come u
lr from the field and made an excus
that he wanted a drink of water Fl
If rushed for the telephone. and the viii
what was said by the other party. bt
she thought there was blush on b
FL face as he answered. After talk {
two minutes he replied TO the otht
party that he woald be there about
VI O'Clock in the evening This was alt
~ gether too bold She was being hi
u inflated in her own house Henr
n was wearing his hat She cuffed
off his head and blazed forth:
dtIlIS move, II you are gong
y see that girl this evening will folio
you every step of the way. and I wi
- pull every hair out of her head.''
You had better stay home and tal
over the wire to the Teller who escorte
= you to the Sunday school picnic!''
fetorted.
Taunts were flying back and fort
:. when a thunderstorm that had bee
!, gathering for the last hour sudden
broke. and thunderbolt instead
=, striking the barn made straight wal
90 for the house. 1t knocked about hu
dred shingles off the roof. wrecked
bedstead upstairs and then tore tn
telephone out by the roots and pro
IA trated man and wife and mother.
did not seriously injure them. and
,;s half an hour they were able to sit 1
and smell the birthstone and survt
or the desolation
. Good" exclaimed Henry as