ing the telephone-booth, which is located, say, in
some drug store, you remove the receiver from the hook and deposit the
requisite coin in the coin box. After an interval of some minutes
a young lady (referred to as "Central") will ask for your "Number,
please." Suppose, for example, that you wish to get Bryant 4310. Remove
your hat politely and speak that number into the mouthpiece.
"Central" will then say, "Rhinelander 4310." To which you reply, "NO,
Central--BRYANT 4310." Central then says, "I beg your pardon--Bryant
4310," to which you reply, "Yes, please." In a few minutes a voice at
the other end of the line says, "Hello," to which you answer, "Is
Miss Doe at home?" The voice then says, "Who?" You say, "Miss Doe,
please--Miss Dorothy Doe." You then hear the following, "Wait a minute.
Say, Charlie, is they anybody works around here by the name of Doe?
There's a guy wants to talk to a Miss Doe. Here--you answer it." Another
voice then says, "Hello." You reply "Hello." He says, "What do you
want?" You reply, "I wish to speak to Miss Dorothy Doe." He says, "What
department does she work in?" You reply, "Is this the residence of J.
Franklin Doe, President of the First National Bank?" He says, "Wait a
minute." You wait a minute. You wait several. Another voice--a new voice
says-"Hello." You reply "Hello." He says, "Give me Stuyvesant 8864." You
say, "But I'm trying to get Miss Doe--Miss Dorothy Doe." He says, "Who?"
You say, "Is this the residence of--" He says, "Naw--this is Goebel
Brothers, Wholesale Grocers--what number do you want?" You say, "Bryant
4310." He says, "Well, this is Rhinelander 4310." You then hang up the
receiver and count twenty. The telephone bell then rings, and inasmuch
as you are the only person near the phone you take up the receiver and
say, "Hello." A female voice, says, "Hello, dearie--don't you know who
this is?" You say, politely but firmly, "No." She says, "Guess!" You
guess "Mrs. Warren G. Harding." She says, "No. This is Ethel. Is Walter
there?" You reply, "Walter?" She says, "Ask him to come to the phone,
will you? He lives up-stairs over the drug store. Just yell 'Walter' at
the third door down the hall. Tell him Ethyl wants to speak to him--no,
wait--tell him it's Madge." Being a gentleman, you comply with the
lady's request. After bringing Walter to the phone, you obligingly wait
for some twenty minutes while he converses with Ethel--no, Madge. When
he has finished, you once more ente