voice, and a tall
gentleman pounded impatiently on the shelf outside the little window
with one hand, and with the other held forth a message.

With despair in her heart, once more Nattie interrupted "X n," took the
impatient gentleman's message, studied out its illegible characters, and
changed a bill, the owner of the nose looking on attentively meanwhile;
this done, she bade the really much-abused "X n" to proceed, or in
telegraphic terms, to

"G. A.--the."

"G. A." being the telegraphic abbreviation for "go ahead," and "the" the
last word she had received of the message.

And this time not even the fact of its being after dinner restrained "X
n's" feelings, and "X n" made the sarcastic inquiry,

"Had you not better go home and send down some one who is capable of
receiving this message?"

Now it would seem as if two persons sixty or seventy miles apart might
severally fly into a rage and nurse their wrath comfortably without
particularly annoying each other at the moment. But riot under present
conditions; and Nattie turned red and bit her nails excitedly under the
displeasure of the distant person of unknown sex, at "X n." But no
instrument had yet been invented by which she could see the expression
on the face of this operator at "X n," as she retorted, and her fingers
formed the letters very sharply;

"Do you think it will help the matter at all for you to make a display
of your charming disposition? G. A.--the--."

"I am happy to be able to return the compliment implied!" was "X n's"
preface to the continuation of the message.

And now indeed Nattie might have recovered some of her fallen glories,
being angry enough to be fiercely determined, had not the owner of the
nose again made her presence manifest by the sudden question:

"Do you have a different sound for every word, or syllable, or what?"

And, turning quickly around to scowl this persevering questioner into
silence, Nattie's elbow hit and knocked over the inkstand, its contents
pouring over her hands, dress, the desk and floor, and proving beyond a
doubt, as it descended, the truth of its label--

"Superior Black Ink!"

And then, save for the clatter of the "sounder," there was silence.

For a moment Nattie gazed blankly at her besmeared hands and ruined
dress, at the "sounder," and at the owner of the nose, who returned her
look with that expression of serene amusement often noticeable in those
who contemplate from afar the mishaps of