Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-01-04
A PARTY
WIRE
By OSCAR cox

Cora Roberts, with whom she carries
on long winded conversations over the
wire and always at that hour in the
morning when it is most in use. | m
a literary man and do my s%cribbling at
home. The other day before sitting
down to my days work | desired to
confer with my publishers with refer
ence to the closing of a story written
to order on a plan suggested by a men,
Der of the firm. Naturally | look to
him for instructions as | proceed. On
this particular occasion | wished to
know whether | should eliminate one
of the characters before closing the
yarn. called the publishers number.
THE line is busy
| was about to drop the receiver and
wait till the line would be free when
of Miss Trewsdalc:
what are you going to do today.
CoraT'
u don't know. What are you going
to do?"
81 don't know either"
HAS Tom b. been to call latelyT
mot since last week. That horrid
Kate w. is making for him. It's too
disgusting for anything to see the way
she acts when he's around"
l sighed, hung up the receiver. paced
the floor for some ten minutes and
called again. They were still at 1t. |
listened again at intervals, but the dia-
logue was still going on. Finally there
seemed to be a hull The operator gave
me the number | wanted, and | got
Mr.. Hathorne. with whom | wished to
speak.
What do you think I'd better do
with Dudley?" | asked.
81 think you'd better kill him.
Then followed one of those confused
situations that sometimes occur when
several persons are trying to use a
telephone at the same time.
'Oh, heavens!" 1t was a woman's
voice.
rs that you. Mary?"
Eyes; some one is planning a muir
der over, this phone. wonder If |
should call the police
"Please send to Mrs. James B.
Wright two pounds of lamb chops, a
bunch of celery
This wires busy!' | shouted. i've
got possession of it, and I'm~going to
keep it till | get through. Keep off
everybody. Is that you, Hathorne?"
Eyes; what do you want?'
I'D like to know before sit down
to work-I've lost three-quarters of an
= hour-what I'd better do with Dudley"
IF 1 were you l would
'sThe baby won't take his food this
morning, doctor. What shall | dor"
At this point there was a dead ST.
lence.
"Hello!' | cried.
"What number?'' came from the OPP
orator.
Il was talking just now with 3642,
Some one butted in and I've lost him.
Can you get him for me again?"
rs this the police Officer"
Eyes, mum. What is it?"
''There is a murder being arranged
over the telephone. Some one by the
name of Dudley"
who's he goin' to kill, mum?"
HE isn't going to kill any one; he's
going to be-
The speaker was cut off by a click.
and heard a locomotive evidently t
pulling out of a station. All the voices
were hushed. | waited till the train
had got away. then helloed till was
hoarse, without getting a reply. Then
l began to work the arm on which the
receiver hangs when not in use. At
last the operator asked:
"What numberY"
II want 3642. | had him. but | was
cut off by a c%oncourse from the tower
of Babel"
Presently there was a click and the
query "Well. who is itY" in Hathorne's
voice.
II say, Hathorne, | asked you awhile
ago what | should do with Dudley in
my story. You suggested that | kill
him. If | do that what shall | do with
his sweetheart"
whats the price of eggs this morn
ing?'
"Seyenty-five cents, num-"
See here, central!' | shouted In a
rage. Cant l get this wire for a few
minutes his morning without the whole
toWH UuLlliS n
thine, please"
Nine ~fifty-nine."
"Thank you"
you're welcome"
There was a click. and in a few mo-
ments the operator asked again:
"What NUMBER
l was soon in connection with Ha-
thorne again. and we were debating
what should be done with Dudley
when there-was another, a final, inter-
ruption in the voice of the woman who
had spotted a murder.
There you are. Mr.. Police Officer.
Those men who are going to kill some
body are talking again. I'd know their
voices again if ! ever heard Them