iles down the
line, was "X n," and, as Nattie signaled in reply to the "call" her
readiness to receive any communications therefrom, she was conscious of
holding in some slight contempt the possible abilities of the human
portion of its machinery.

For who but an operator very green in the profession would stay _there_?

Consequently, she was quite unprepared for the velocity with which the
telegraph alphabet of sounds in dots and dashes rattled over the
instrument, appropriately termed a "sounder," upon which messages are
received, and found herself wholly unable to write down the words as
fast as they came.

"Dear me!" she thought, rather nervously, "the country is certainly
ahead of the city this time! I wonder if this smart operator is a lady
or gentleman!"

And, notwithstanding all her efforts, she was compelled to "break"--that
is, open her "key," thereby breaking the circuit, and interrupting "X n"
with the request,

"Please repeat."

"X n" took the interruption very good-naturedly--it was after
dinner--and obeyed without expressing any impatience.

But, alas! Nattie was even now unable to keep up with this too expert
individual of uncertain sex, and was obliged again to "break," with the
humiliating petition,

"Please send slower!"

"Oh!" responded "X n."

For a small one, "Oh!" is a very expressive word. But whether this
particular one signified impatience, or, as Nattie sensitively feared,
contempt for her abilities, she could not tell. But certain it was that
"X n" sent along the letters now, in such a slow, funereal procession
that she was driven half frantic with nervousness in the attempt to
piece them together into words. They had not proceeded far, however,
before a small, thin voice fell upon the ears of the agitated Nattie.

"Are you taking a message now?" it asked.

Nattie glanced over her shoulder, and saw a sharp, inquisitive nose, a
green veil, a pair of eye-glasses, and a strained smile, sticking
through her little window.

Nodding a hasty answer to the question, she wrote down another word of
the message, that she had been able to catch, notwithstanding the
interruption. As she did so the voice again queried,

"Do you take them entirely by sound?"

With a determined endeavor not to "break," Nattie replied only with a
frown. But fate was evidently against her establishing a reputation for
being a good operator with "X n."

"Here, please attend to this quick!" exclaimed a new