The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-02-08
The DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Z itten and the Lineman

The Kitten and the Lineman
10y BARBARA KEER.)
Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.
No be still!' the trouble clerk
i called out sharply to those
around her in the office. I'm
ling 20 get thi2 message. some one
y crying and i can't make 1t out. :"
Ynen % the person at the other end
81 the line. Nov, please repeat your
y essaee. =
tlie clerk listened and her alarm
kaye way to an amused expression:
Wait 2 moment. Tho superintendent
ss here. You may speak to him. !" The
Rsnperintendent took the phone and the
g1ritsh voice, now grown calrSer, re-
sgeAted: my kitten has been up in
pig high tree all yesterday and all
longer. Won't you please send and
get him dow? Mother will pay you
Whatever YOU ask. We're so afraid he
viii fall and kill himself"
"All riEht-all right, little girl.
don't you worry any more; we'll be
right along - Then turning to the
trouble crew waiting for orders, he
said: tom, suppose you take one or
two men and go over to the Bradford
place on Bayview avenue and get that
KIDS kitten cut Of the tree and don't
let them pay for Understand?
We don't want to start anything like
that. And Tom logged out in a line.
man suit. took two men and fastened
over to the Bradford place.
The kitten could be seen-an i'm
). mense fellow he was, q terrified white
and yellow tsll-in the very top Of .
huge cottonwood tree, and his mis-
tress was yr.nly trying to coax him %
come down. Tom came forward polite
" and syn,rathettcally, expecting to
find q little schoolgirl. Instead 1t was
Christie Bradford, the young lady OF
the house. Her eyes were red, her
beautiful browa hair was In braid
down her back and she had slipped
. big coat over her morning dress. He
looked his establishment; she smiled
apologetically and explained: u
haven't slept all night; the poor thing
cried SO. I thought couldn't stand II
another minute; ! was SO afraid he'd
get SO cold that he could not hold on
longer and would fall-poor old Dom
inie."
The ladder was soon in place and
Tom, talking reassuringly to Dominic,
was just ready to pick him up when.
the kitten, encouraged by his presence,
turned and walked down the tree BY
himself and was snuggled in Christie's
arms. He was truly beautiful kitten
and Of course Tom had to stop a mo.
ment and talk about pets and assure
Miss Bradford that he could not ac-
cept pay for getting Dominic out OF
trouble.
Soon after this Miss Bradford was
returning on the train to college
and as ahe sat glancing through her
magazines q young man stopped by
her seat and spoke to her, She didn't
recognize him as he was not In line.
man garb, and he had to remind her
about the kitten, asking IL 1t had given
up exploring big trees. !
Miss Bradford politely answered
him, thanking him for his interest, but
she was not friendly; so he moved on.
She was much surprised that q tele-
phone linelnan could look so handsome
and so dressed up in business suit,
but she did not want to encourage
any intimacy, so she pretended an alb.
gorbing interest in her reading when
he was near.
Tom guessed that she did not know
him, but was piqued THAI she did not
give him q chance to tell her who he
was. But when they changed cars at
Buffalo she saw that his luggage was
marked T.. Carruthers. He was the
SON Of the president Of the telephone
company.
OF course, on arriving at school she
wrote to her chum and casually re-
marked that Mr.. T. Carruthers had
zone East on the same train with
her. and Immediately received reply
lauding Tom and wishing that she,
the chum, could have the opportunity
/ 10 travel in his company. So Christie
WAS quite prepared to be much more
ISsociabla when on entering a crowded
pullman on her way home for Christ
mas holidays she was asked 70 snare
fha seat with Mr.. Carruthers, WHO was
RETURNING from New York. where ne
: lad heenS placing some telephone bond
Sic dimpled with pleasure and held
M her land, saying: 1T Is good OF
Won to let me sit with you and VIII
ss,are my magazines and bon-bons
with you IN return"
An ocsan.goipg voyage speeds up
scduaintances as does nothing else
under the sun, but a long ride in a
pullman ts quite next, 30 before the
end Of the Journey Tom was asking
her 70 attend the Christmas hop with
him. ssThank you so much.r Christie
SepIied cordially. "but my big brother
sim IS TO be home and I've promised to
devote the party to him. He'll have
my programme.
.Oh, jim is an old friend Of mine
and III ask him to waive his rights
No, no, you mustn't do that.n de-
cleFed Christie seriously. "Jim and
ara longtime pals. I couldn't let hin,
think I'd go back on him, ever. I'ye
beqght the kind Of dress he likes and