The Washington herald., 1922-01-30
EMBARRASSING
MOMENTS

am a telephone operator IN one
of the central offices downtown-and
as the day 1 mention was an un-
usually busy one, had many calls
for Main 1920 (the CapitoD. I had
repeated it SO many times that it
worked itself into my brain and l
just couldn't get rid of It. When
it was time to go home several Of
the operators happened to catch the
same car. The car was packed from
one end to the other. 1 put my fare
in the box and meant 10 ask for a
transfer, but instead 1 called out at
the top of my voice Main 3l2e."
Ny girl friends nudged me and then
1 saw what an awful mistake 1 had
made. Every person in the car
turned and looked me square IN the
face and two of the fellows said in
loud voice, II guess we know
where they're from" I never was
so humiliated and embarrassed in
all my life; and l certainly felt re-
lieved when l got off of that car.
NJ. r. G.
III ChaIieslon' D. -, dlOng ABOUT
1879. L was reporter on the one daily
newspaper Of the city and had written
slightly uncomplimentary story
concerning a citizen with local
fame as a killer.
/ was living at a hotel and while
at breakfast one morning the clerk,
a good friend of mine, strolled by
my table and bent over to ask, in
half txhianar
That was before the day of the
automatic and a time when the Colt
six-shooter was correct appurtenance
to the attire of every well dressed
man. Having dressed in a hurry, !
had left mine in my room. So my
friend the clerk slipped me one, with
the information that the aGyrieyed
citizen was in the lobby and had an
nounced definite purpose to shoot
me as soon as he could ser me.
In that community at that period
the newspaper man suspected Of being
gun shy lost not only his job. but the
respect OF the populace and, so, when
had finished my breakfast, I strolled
out INTO the lobby. 1t happened that
the gentleman in whom 1 was espe-
cially interested for the moment was
at a window talking with a friend
ana 1 strolled on over TO the cigar
counter When I had bought my
cigar and bitten off the end, my man
caught sight of me and promptly
moved in my direction.
That was the embarrassing mo-
ment.
Was I justified. by information re-
celVed, in opening hostilities, or
should wait for the other to begine
fumbled in the right hand waist
coat pocket as il for a match, be-
cause the fraction of a second gained
in moving the hand direct to the
trousers pocket. where the artillery
rested. might be valuable.
The other gentlemen approached
and the expression of his countenence
was not reassuring; but I looked
straight at him as il unconscious of
trouble, stepped toward him genially
and enauired lightly. Gotta match
with you?'
Obeying the instinct of the smoker,
he automatically. felt in his own waist
coat pocket and handed out the
match. Then l. handed him a cigar
and lighted my own with steady hand.
taking my time, remember. blowing
out the match all the while looking
him steadily in the eyes. Then it
was all OF. He began to talk of his
complaint sinstead Of shooting over
1t first and talking afterward, as
was the too frequent custom of
the. country Conversation led to
amicable understanding. To this day
] don't know whether his nerve
failed at the pinch or whether my
apparent uncoLsciousness of offense
and natural manner disarmed him.
As he is many years dead. ] am
not likely ever TO know. But GER
tainli il was an embarrassing mo-