The Press., 1919-05-15
The Secret Phone
By odllia Frances Pfei6sr
ICopyrIght. 1919. by western N.wspapsr Usion

Copyright. 1919. by Western NswspapsR Union) If I do what you ask me. and the company finds 1t out, I'll lose my job" 'Then I will get you better one" T know you pretty near run things" admitted Mark Seaton, telephone line repairer, but you are asking me to break the rules of the company"
 "I'll 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 as 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 good deal for him. Jarvis had directed him to tap 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 a 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 con- 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 was 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 am to be so 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 week, with Father Brooks smiling a vel come"
 But never to see you for eight whole long weeksl" murmured Blanche. Never to talk with youl'
 Dismiss that erroneous impress sion," directed Jarvis buoyantly. we shall have the sweetest, coziest, most blissful chats every evening of our lives and four times 8 day, if you wish." insisted Jarvis, land here's my plan."
 It was a daring one, and 1t quite scared Blanche. A secret telephone was to be installed in 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 phone with no 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 should overhear them.
 And so Mark Seaton, selecting an occasion when MT. Brooks was absent from home, duly installed the secret telephone, and all Blanche had to do was to lock the door of her room, go into the next apartment, give the sig nal and in lOw-vOiced converse those two revelled in renewed love making and tenderness.
 All this brought them no closer in actual contact, nor did it 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