OCR Text |
Show The Telephone In Washington. Mr. Blaine's experience with the. telephone tele-phone has made the life of one of th employes of the state department a hol low mockery for more than a week. He lives in constant terror of the wrath tr come. Mr. Blaine, it appears, was anxious anx-ious to communicate with the department depart-ment rom a distant part of the city; He therefore called up his office over the telephone wire. Owing to some electrical defect, duo doubtless to the weather, he was unable to make himself thoroughly understood. As not infrequently happens, hap-pens, h? could hear with perfect distinctness dis-tinctness all that the an at the other end of the wire was saying, while the clerk struggled vainly to distinguish a single syllable of what the secretary was trying to ponr into his ear. Finally the clerk, unnoyed by the trouble and delay, said in an angry tone: ... "Well, .who are you, anyhow?" ; Perhaps Mr. Blaine spoke with more emphasis or with greater attention to articulation when he replied. .Whatever the cause, the first intelligible .words which found their way to the ear of tho angry clerk were those which said in reply re-ply to his question: "My name is Blaine, and I happen to be the secretary ot state." , The shock which the clerk experienced was severe, but it was nothing to the lingering agony of doubt which followed it, and which even now is harassing his anxious mind. Mr. Blaine has shown no disposition to resent the unintentional familiarity, and the incident will probably prob-ably drop into oblivion in a week-or two. Cor. New York Tribune. |