The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-06-20
The Secret
Phone
Copyright. 1919. By Western Dor Union

company finds it Out, I'll lose my job
Then l will get you a better one"
II know you pretty near run things"
admitted Mark Seaton. telephone line
repairer, but you are asking me to
break the rules OF the company"
"Tll mend them up later" airily de
clared Jasper Worrell. If it ever does
get out the men will call 1t cleverness,
and the ladies will hail you rs a loyal
emissary of the love god. Cupid"
Jasper Worrell, manager Of the local
telephone line, had got the devoted
Seaton his position, but he was asking
his humble pensioner to do a good
deal for him. Jarvis had directed him
to tap a wire leading into the home OF
Robert Brooks, to carry 1t to a certain
secluded closet in the house, and put
in a receiver, all the time posing as
q workman engaged in testing and re-
pairing the regular phone wire.
Here was the situation: The father
Of charming Blanche Brooks had been
defeated in the local mayoralty con-
test the year previous by Jasper's
father. Bitterly Brooks had resented
the success Of his political rival. He
refused to speak to any Of the Worrell
family. When he heard that young
WOrrell and his daughter had been
seen together on the street, he com
manded her forthwith to have no fur
ther communication, with the son of
his enemy, Blanche was a dutiful
daughter. Jasper was all but engaged
to her. Blanche met him just once
and sOrrOwfully advised him that their
dream of happiness vas blighted.
Never. no; abandon the thought! ~
declared Jarvis in his fOrceful, con-
fident way. Leave 1t all to me, dear
Blanche. I've won you. undeserving
as l am to be 80 blessed. I'll win over
your father. too. Don't talk over that
rubbish Of patiently waiting two years
until you are of age. Leave 1t all to
me. Within two months I shall be
coming to see you three times a week,
with Father Brooks smiling q well
come"
But never to see you for eight
whole long weeks!" murnured
Blanche. Never to talk with you"
DISMISS that impress
sion," directed Jarvis buoyantly. I'VE
shall have the sweetest. coolest. most
blissful chats every evening of our
lives and four times a day. IL you
WISH" insisted Jarvis, "and here's my
plan"
1t was a daring one, and it quite
scared Blanche. A secret telephone
was to be Installed in a secluded room
next to, and communicating with
Blanche's own apartment. All the art
and science expert Mark Seaton could
employ was to be utilized in having a
phone with 10 bell call. A mere click
would call Blanche at the other end
OF the line at an agreed on time. The
only caution to be exercised was to
be certain that IN talking to one an
other no one silou.ti overhcar them.
And SO Mark Santon. ~se,ec.l..r an
occasion when Mr.. Brooks WAS absent
from home, duly Installed the secret
telephone, and all Blanche had to do
was to lock the door of her room, 20
into the next apartment, give the sig
nal and in low-voiced converse those
two revelled In renewed love making
and tenderness.
AT this brought them no closer in
actual contact, nor did 1t seem to
Blanche that her stubborn. determined
father was being made more approach
able. Don't worry on that score"
encouraged Jarvis one afternoon. I'm
working hard on that end Of the prop
osition. Be at the phone at 8 o'clock
to the minute this evening. and TIL
be ready to announce the program
that is going to win over Father
Brooks in a jiffy."
Through the m.sadyenture of q de-
lay 1t the house of a girl friend taken
suddenly i'll Blanche did not get home
by 8 o'clock that evening. At Just
that hour Mr.. Brooks, passing through
the upper hall, noticed an open win
dow il her room and the rain blow
ing in. He entered and closed it, and
just then a suspicious sound directed
him to the unused apartment beyond.
A series Of clicks echoed, then indis-
tinct sounds, as Of some one speaking
In a low tone.
"Hello!" CALCULATED Mr.. Brooks in
a~maze1nent, as, tracing the sound, he
discovered the secret telephone behind
an old wardrobe. He picked up %he
receiver. At once the words were
swept to his startled hearing!
TITS all right, Blanche. I've fixed
everything. My father declines to run
again for mayor. l have got in my
work with the fusion people on a COM
promise candidate. AS I can swing
all our workers I can elect Father
Brooks. I'm mi Of the committee
coming to apprise him Of the situa-
ton in the next hour. Kiss your
Jarvis, dear. Good by"
"'Father Brooksr Kiss your Jar
Wis" The audacious young r%eprobate."
And thora nnho,.f pronlyr rp,i1oa r.