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 enter the booth and tell "Central" you want Bryant 4310.
After a few minutes "Central" says, "What number did you call?"
You say patiently, "Bryant 4310." She replies, "Bryant 4310 has
been changed to Schuyler 6372." You ask for Schuyler 6372.
Finally a woman's voice says, "Yass." You say, "Is Miss Doe in?"
She replies, "Yass." You say, "May I speak to her?" She says,
"Who?" You reply, "You said Miss Doe was at home, didn't you?"
She replies, "Yass." You say, "Well, may I speak to her?" The
voice says, "Who?" You shout, "Miss Doe." The voice says, "She
ban out." You shriek, "Oh, go to hell!" and assuming a graceful,
easy position in the booth, you proceed to tear the telephone
from the wall. Later on in the day, when you have two or three
hours of spare time, you can telephone Miss Doe again and arrange
for the evening's visit.