Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-09-11
T h u ally
Short Story

NV telephone party wire ie 6s4 W
Next door lives q garrulous girl whose
number is 6S4 M Eva Trewsdale b
her name. and size has q bosom friend
Cora Roberts with whom She rarres
on kong wihdad conversations over the
wire and always at that hour iu the
morning when il Is most i'm use. ] ana
a literary man and do my scrihbiins az
home The other day before sitting
down to my days work 7 desired TO
confer with my publishers with rsfar-
ence 70 the closing of q story written
10 ORDER on = plan suggested hv
member Of the firm Naturally 7 look
To him for instructions as 4 procsed
on this particular occasion ! wished to
know whether / should eliminate one
of the characters before CLOSING the
yarn I called the publisher num-
Der,
sThe line Is busy"
was about 10 drop the receiver ana
wait till the line would be free uHen
heard the well known meIadious
voice of Miss Trewsdaie.
What are you going to do today.
Cora2
u don't know What are you going
to do2'
FL don't know either"
Has Tom B. been TO call latelv22"
"N0t since last week That horrid
Kate w. is making for him IT'S too
disgusting for anything 30 see the way
she acts when he's around.
sighed. hung up the receiver.
paced the floor for some ten minutes
and called again They were still an
it. I listened again at intervals. hut
the dialogue was still going on Fiu-
ally there seemed TO be a Iuil The
operator gave me the number ] want
ed and got Mr.. Hathorne, with whom
I wished to speak.
What do you think I'd better do
with Dudley" / asked.
II think you'd better kin him"
Then followed one of those confused
situations that sometimes occur when
several persons are trying 90 use a
telephone at the same time.
"Oh, heaVenst 1t was a wOman's
voice.
rs that you. Nary
Eyes; some one is planning a muir
der over this phone. I wOrder il +
should call the police"
Please send to Mrs. James r.
Wright two pounds OF lamb chops
bunch Of celery
"This wires busy I shouted Give
got possession Of 1t. and I'm going 20
keep it till get through Keep off
everybody. Is that you. Hath0rne3"
Yes. what do you waut7"
"Ld like 70 know before 7 sit down
10 work I've lost three-quartars OF an
hour what d better do with Dud-
ley
III / were YOU 7 would
THE baby won't take his food this
r1CF-u1ur doctor What shall
AT this point there was O. dead si-
lence.
"Hellot" Z cried.
what number r. came from the Or
orator.
81 was talking just now With 96f3
Some one butted in and I've lost him.
Can you get him for me againe7
rs this the police Office
Yes. mNm What is it2'
There is a murder being arranged
over the telephone. Some one by The
name of Dudley
Who's he goiu 30 kill. mum 2"
He isn't going 10 Kill any one; he's
gong 10 be-
The speaker was cut off by click
and Z heard locomotive evidently
pulling out of a station All the voices
were husbed I waited tin the train
had got away then helloed till I was
hoarse. without getting a reply Then
/ began to work the arm on which the
receiver hangs when not i'm use At
last the operator asked
What number
II want 36#2 I had him. but 7 was
cut or by q couc0urse from the tower
Of Babel
Presently there was a click and the
query Wen. who is it2' iu Halhorrea
voice
III say, Hathorue. asked you
while age what / should do with Dua-
ley in my story You suggested that
kill him If ] do that what shall do
with his sweetheart"
What's Che price of eggs this morn
"seveuty-Hve cents. mum
See here. eaaTaIt" / shouted Fec
rage Cant j get this wire for q few
this morning without the
whole town butdHg in2"
Time, please
Mine ffty-uiue"
Thank you
You're welcome"
There was o click and ia few
moments the operator asked again:
What uuu 0er2'
I was soon in connection with Ha-
-horne again. and we were debating
what shonld be doue with Dudley
when there WAS another. a final inter
ruptlOn In the voice Of q woman who
had spotted q murder
here you are Mr Police Officer.
Those men who are going 10 kill some
body are talking again I'd know their
voices again il ever heard them"
"Hathornel' / shouted.
''WelI?a