Middletown transcript., 1916-12-30
IFTFEN minutes Of twelve I

D fFTEEN minutes Oh LWeIVet
A brief quarter ofsan hour later
ana 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
win begin trying to get his or her
friends on the wire to yell Happy
New earl'-eEerybody 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 lrole)
=. Grand 45544 :. " hat did iii gen
say Yes, / know have sweet
voice, but my name don't happen to be
'Kddo' =. There you are"
Just then another light flashed in
Myrtle's section.
"Number please -. {. Riverview 41o7
-. Thank you !. What? ;. Oh, |
beg your pardon fill"
"Why don't you listen as you're PAID
to doY' 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 n 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 aristocratic
residential section. Buzz-Buzz-zz-z
Then came a woman's vOicc-soft,
sweet and low.
"Hello :. . Oh, is that you, Jim? l
had gotten quite anxious about you.
expected you home to dinner tonight.
You promised, you know. ... And
'SnOokums' was so disappointed when
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. really think you
might have, Jim, because"
"Oh, I know! / 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
na, and afterwards i. 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 a Hap
by 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 = 81 thought
you assured me you never would dab
bic In the market again after that last
time when you risked all we had in the
world simply on the chance of making
few dollars without really earning
it."
"Edna, Il"
"Jim, your very voice sounds queer
NY. Nothing has gone wrong at the Of
ce there today, has there, .dear?"
No ;. 4. No, nothing" came tht
voice wearily, soothingly. ''Don'
NOW No use any more. Ex
if 1 spoke sharply, little girl
out-that's all :. Yes, ye!
N, dearest one."
clicked sharply and thu
experienced a sense O
le exact reason fol
pave been at a los
strangely the maj
d-bye-almost a
be able to sa.
loved. It wa
Oh"
same mai
ire.