The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-06-27
IN 4-D
9A<0
BY MAUNA CoWLES
1918. by the Mcclure NewspI
per Syndicate.)

GUS Nathan, the young man wht
worked the switchboard at Curtis &
Carriers real estate offices. The younl
man listened to the voice on the tele
phone, then turning to the young Mr.
Carter, he said: "She wants to tall
to one Of the firm. Kind O. mad,
should say. Want to talk to her, Mr.
Carter%
whats she llke?" queried the
youngest member of the firm.
sounds like a cranky old school
ma'am. She's awful mad
"Oh, well, l might as we'll talk to
her. I'll kid her little, and maybe
that will keep her quiet" and still
turning over the papers on his desk,
with his right hand, Mr.. Carter reach
ed out with his left hand to take the
receiver Off its hook on his desk phone
while the operator connected him with
che tenant In apartment Four d.
$50 you're pretty cold. Well, now
/ didn't catch the name-Miss Crosby
I certainly am sorry. But you'll
have to see Mr.. Hoover about that.
Now, you don't think we're keeping
that apartment cold just to make you
mad. No, honest, there isn't any way
we can get more coal. What-the
theaters get coal enough. Well, that's
a good one. All you can do, then, is
to go to a show. It's matinee day.
Now, really, didn't mean to make you
angry. But you see, everyone is kick
ing, and 1t really isn't our fault. We
can't get any more coal and all we can
do Is to try and keep cheerful about It,
What? You bet that it isn't so cold
here In our office as IL is in your
apartment? Well, now, Miss Crosby,
I'll have to admit that it Is pretty
comfortable here. We've got a south
ern exposure and we're on the ground
floor, and somehow these office build
ing people do manage to get the coal.
Yes, it is unfair. What? Why, GER
tainly. I'd be glad to see you. Come
right along. Yes, just ask for Mr..
Carter, Jr., Frank Carter. Good-by,
Miss Crosby. I'll see you soon." He
hung the receiver back on the hook
and then clapped his hand over the
ear with which he had been listening
as If to relieve 1t from the effect of
the volley fire that had been charged
on it through the phone.
"Wow," he said, addressing the tel
ephone operator on the opposite side
of the room, beyond the little wooden
fence. "Wow, but she certainly is
some sour old maid. 1 thought I'd kid
her into good humor, but 1t was the
wrong tack. wonder If she'll call my
bluff and come down and see how
warm we are. But say, Nathan, try
to get the coal commissioner on the
wire again. It's a shame to run the
fires so low. Ask them If they can't
let me speak to him personally. 1t
seems as If something ought 70 be
DONE"
A half-hour later young Carter
heard a very low but unmistakable
whistle. 1t was Nathan's way of in
dlCating that something worth obServ-
ing was occurring in the Office. There
was q note of admiration in the whis-
tle-distinctly 1t was his way of sig
mailing to the other boys in the office
and Mr.. Carter, who was still young
enough TO be interested in such a sig
nal even though he was a member of
the firm-the proximity of a pretty
girl.
Carter looked up from his paper,
caught the direction of Nathans gaze
whistle, very low, but still audible to
Nathan. 1t was q pretty girl and she
was approaching in the vicinity of Ma
than. Enveloped in voluminous fur
trimmed rough wooden coat of dark
violet hue, with her hands encased in
a black muff to match the fur on her
coat with a picturesque black velvet
hat, cut on the poke bonnet order, that
cast much shadow on her face, there
was still enough opportunity to see
that the girl beneath so much warmth
giving clothes was young, animated
and pretty.
The bewidered Nathan looked up as
she approached and to her query that
Carter did not hear, he nodded to the
desk Of the youngest member OF the
firm. Then the violet coat and the
delicate aroma of violet sachet that
went with 1t moved toward the little
wooden fence that hedged in Mr.. Car
ter's desk.
"Here / am" said the girl. "Pm the
tenant in Four d., Marbridge court
Where do you want me to slt-ihslde
the fence or outsider
Carter jumped from his seat and
was so confused that all he could say
was: Inside the fence-pleaso take
this chair, any chair, any chair. Yes,
indeed. You-are actually Miss Cros-
by2 How very good Of YOU"
"No, I won't take your chair. I'll
take this little one" she said, slipping
out OF her coat and revealing a very
neatly fitted plain blue serge dress be-
meath. She placed the chair precisely
half way between the radiator ana
the window where the light would
come over her left shoulder "Ihere,'
she said. 81 like 1t just like that. l
shall knit and not disturb you at all.
Please sit down, Mr.. Carter. You can't
imagine what pleasure 1t Is to be
warm"
Carter noted a tone of asperlty In
the girls voice but he did not feel In
the least irritated by 1t. He tried to
swing himself around in his swivel