Etiquctte by Telephone

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 428, 28 July 1904, Page 9

Etiquctte by Telephone

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i'CBOWD of inburbtiltttf jf»|mA»<l .Jb* waiting tjgn^On 1 h5» outermost fringe came * the Nun,"«ijttl(f Young Mm' bad 'already named*" iher; bat _, she toss mot meek' or holy, or. nun- "" nish a* afl, and only bar clothes and ber bat ware gray. She walked light-. on bar toes, and aba b^rs^*^ ini * I * , w- To look.* v bar, one would say. she might ba • \ bride" or .'mother with ft .^baby B 'waiting*out ; there in the sub- _ urbajio'mewaere. But the Young Mam refused* entertain either' of these suppositions. - She. was the little - Gray ~ Nun/'spinster. He bad bean gratching- bar far li minutes. T Suddenly he "saw the radiance ofj her face tarnish' and a minute beginning of horror dawn in bar, eyes—' y. forjie waa an observing young man. ? He*"saw her searching her chatelaine! bag, than bar 'gray skirts, aa if a pocket * might have .been." hidden uv -them by mistake. Then ba aswthe' , horror*itself spread from her eyesi oyer' bar piquant little iaoe. The, Little Gray N.ua, than, waa in trot-, ble. ••tffc-- • - •.••':" '*■* * los* something." the' .-'Young Man" sighed, as if the loJif .were hie .own.* He'.took two giffrt strides forward, than The .Little Gray Nun waa taLdngfto -the conductor. He could not f 'hear her >yqice, but the. conductor's waa strident, and might ha*e been booming through a megaphone. "Sorry, miss, b*tft it can't be done —contrary to our rules *n' regulations. Sorry I/een't put you through." Whatever 'the Little Gray Nun answered.was loat in the echoes from the " megaphone, but aa she turned away the offended dignity of her carriage waa marred by the tremu- - lou3 flutter of her small, gray-glored hands. She walked how, heavily, em ber heels. *-

"I beg your pardon." Tbe Young Man. raised his bat courteously. "But If that fellow in the brass buttons back there said anything inaulting, there's just time for me to break his bones for him before the Tain starts. Beg pardon, but you'll have to tell me quick!"

"Oh," dimpled the Little Gray Nun, in spite of herself. "Oh, no, please don'tl He only told me that—that—why, that "

"Yea?" tapped the" Young Man impatiently, though the courtesy of his lifted hat and interested face waa perfect. But there was so little time —it takes time to break a fellow's

insolent bones lor him. The engineer —mi already •wafting the conductor's signal. ri "He only hH ho—couldn't let m» ride home without a ticket. Tve lost my parte, trat of course I should send heek the ' money to-morrow. Tm not a tramp!'* "The brute! I'll hare him reported at headquarter!—it's going!" „ "And Tm not on it!" groaned the Little Gray Won. "And this is Chubby's birthday, and I always frost hie cake!"

Then there was a baby out there where the train was going? It was not Little' Gray Hum, spinster? But the Young Man held his ground valiantly. She was a woman, anyway, and in distress. "But that conductor will be Just as horrid as this one. I wouldn't ask another conductor to let me ride free if I had to stay away from home all night— except—oh, I forgot poor little Chubby! I could do almoft anything for Chubby!" "There's another train leaves in three-quarters of an hour," he said, encouragingly. " That was always the way with young mothers. The Young Man felt the romance of things slipping through his fingers. But he plunged his hand into his pocket and drew out. a_ fat little silver-purse. ">Then do this for Chubby, ,r he smiled, holding it out to her. *T haven'jt any need for it, you know. ***■ —er—in my way.- I use a mileage, myself."

The little Gray Nun reeoflad. The dimples froze in her cheeks and her ehin. Her small, well-set head lifted and lifted—Scott, man, do you see h< 7 tall the Little Gray Nun is grow"Thank yon—let me pass, please," the Little Gray Nun said, frigidly. And hjs stood looking sites fc*x ia

■\'.- *\ ■ ■ . Sapid surprise. -I"*u.t his 1»». dad lie? By George, she looked as if she bad a job for the conductor ItJiistime! • - ~ J * ! i 'Til try another tack,r. ha mutjtered. "The* little thing -hae, got to be befriended fomehow, orißubby or Chubby or Whatever-His-Neme wBl have to eat his birthday cake without any frosting. Never!" Ha overtook her in the waiting-room. I be,<* your pardon," he said; "I don't want to bore you, but if you'd accept ttic loan of a mileage book —I don't need mine. It's in my—-«r, that is—T mean—oh, say, you'll taka it, won't you?" he burst out, boyishly. The Little Gray Nun was vanquished. The dimples trooped back again. "But we haven't been introduced. She murmured. "How could I? We don't even know each other's names/' *»»d gloomily. He had not thought of that. "But there ought tb.be a way—let's gat the depot mammy to do it. Ta]l her who we are, you know. Mammies are always ready to accommodate." The Little Gray Nun's laughing eyes followed his to the comfortable, (black face of 'the' fat Aunt Chloe across the room. "It."would be fun," she cried, but instantly she waa grave and proper again. "If we had a mutual friend—" , ."The mammy's a friend of everybod—"- j • ;• ."But I dont know a soul In this city except Cousin Althea." j*f "Jones or—er Pettengill?" the Young man said, eagerly.. "I know Jonasea and Pettingills to burn." # The Little Gray Nan's dignity bad 'again come back. She drew away • tiny apace. "Smith,* 1 ? she" said, prim-; ly, "Cousin Althea Smith. I should"* tgo right up to her house if it wasn't Vor Chubby." He laughed aloud in his relief. ' \ . "Oh, I know Smiths!" he cried. . slather*—er, I mean quantities of 'em." - •;■ -

\ "I am not aware the* you have '.the honor *ot[ knowing' my Smith,**, Vshe responded, crilply. It did, look promising. The Young . a mind, to .give it up. But the;Lwtl« (Jray .Nun heeded ehampieniij& and then there • was " Chubby. "He's.the onlylii&e nephew I've got in the world/yjrarmured the Little Gray Nun, as/?» in anpwer to/ "his thought, neV-er be ..six years oldj§g|pf if he lives a hundred ■ . Bed be beard tright? iTfie Young Man felt the rb* manee/or" things in bis grasp again. f • was a nephew, Heaven Vm*' him! —then what were obj viffaclee? A sudden inspiration /was iorn in the Young Mam's brain. He motioned toward a seat near by. "Won't you ait down?" ..he saidv "And would you mind naming over some of your friends at horns V He did not realize that be did not know j her own name yet, or the name of

"home." •■■'■: "At home? —in Buttonwood, you mean? Oh, there s grandfather and Uncle Joe and Uncle Sam—"... \ "Their last names, I mean. Browgj or Kobinsbn or So-snd-so, you know.'' "Why, of course! What a stupid!;* She ran over a list of surname* rasidly. He caught at one as at a straw;"' "Bcott-J.Bradleyr* he cried* "Yes, James Bradley." *3£ i'Brdker?!»>A t *&>- -"' : - .-« i. "Well, he was! He's broken now, poor man! He stays right at home." "Telephone connection?" . *.- >'; "In his house, you meant Why. •ye-es —yes, I know there is." " • ' "Then we're all right. Well get Mr; J. Bradley Scott to introduce us. He used to be Jonathan to my father's David. De you mind coming over to the central office? Just across the' street?" Buttonwood was called mp. Then Mr. J. Bradley Scott. "HeUo! That you, Uncle Brad? Know my voice? What? Yes, sir, same old sixpence! Yes, Berlin —last .teamer. Dad? He's all right. WhatV No, not a professorship, unless you've got one up your sleeve for me—But, Uncle Brad, I say! There's a young lady here waiting to speak to you. She wants to be introduced to me—oh, I mean I want to be introduced to her, you know. We've got to be introduced, and you're the man to do it.' She's going to speak now." f

"Hellol" called the Little Gray Nun, clearly. "Do you know me, Mr. Scott? Not Dolly? Then I'll never apeak to you again—oh, know me? Well, I'm on my way home, you know —you haven't seen Chubby to-dayf have you? It's his birthday. What? Birthday—six years old. I've got to get home to frost the cake, and I've, lost my pocketbook. There's a ly young m—oh, I mean there's a young man here who wants to lend ue his mileage; but we haven't been ntroduced. It's a dreadful scrape, for nere's Chubby'g cake, you know. .V'hat? Both of us stand np here?" 31 e motioned to the Young Man.'. "Vi ell, we're here. Oh, yea, I can hear you—Yes. Yes, he sajrs he can, top.". • They stood there an instant together, while acroßs'27 miles Mr. J. Jradley Scott introduced them. Both faces were grave, but all four "eyes *-ere dancing. At the proper tithe shd : m the proper way they touched finrers and bowed to each other politely/ it was over. - *•.>■■•..

"Now, we're all right," cried the Young Man, briskly. "And there's the vhistle of our train. We've got to.run-, ior it." : | The conductor tore off milesg|;forf '.wo and left them then to theJteYid£r* nercies of little Dun Cupiil. Ht/ttlef. .camp! it is amazing Uie anjou? 5 C ui. work he can get into a 27-mile run*—; Ladies' World. New York. Repartee. Repartee «»it.:«*r in.-»fc««s n. man's rm:itn:i- n •.--,. i, a ♦,„ loser ii is j0... -Ci»;.- , ..:, :, tf ; v .,. s . -; " f