"Yes," replied Nattie, "it's hard to make them believe sometimes that everything less than ten words is a stated price, and that we only charge per word after that number. And, speaking of ignorance, do you know I once actually had a letter brought me, all sealed, to be sent that way by telegraph." Miss Archer laughed again, and Quimby inquired, "I--I beg pardon, but did I understand that the last came within your experience?" "Yes," Nattie replied, "and I had a young woman come in here once, who asked me to write the message for her, and after I had done so, in a somewhat hasty scrawl, she took it, looked it all over critically, dotted some 'i's,' and crossed some 't's,' I all the time staring, amazed, and wondering if she supposed I could not read my own hand-writing, then scowled and threw it down disgustedly saying, 'John never can read _that!_ I shall have to write it myself. He knows my writing!'" "Can such things be!" cried Miss Archer. "But," asked Quimby, from his uncomfortable perch on the edge of the chair, "Isn't there a--a something--a _fac-simile_ arrangement?" "I believe there is, but it is not yet perfected," replied Nattie. "Ah, well! then the young woman was only in advance of the age," said Miss Archer; "and what with that and the telephone, and that dreadful phonograph that bottles up all one says and disgorges at inconvenient times, we will soon be able to do everything by electricity; who knows but some genius will invent something for the especial use of lovers? something, for instance, to carry in their pockets, so when they are far away from each other, and pine for a sound of 'that beloved voice,' they will have only to take up this electrical apparatus, put it to their ears, and be happy. Ah! blissful lovers of the future!" "Yes!--I--yes, that would be a good idea!" cried Quimby eagerly; then instantly fearing he had betrayed himself, turned red, and clutched at the mustache that eluded his grasp. Miss Archer looked at him and smiled, and Nattie was about to expound further when she heard "C" asking on the wire, "N, haven't your visitors gone yet? Tell them to hurry!" "You wouldn't say so," Nattie responded to him, "if you knew what a handsome young lady one of my two visitors is. We have been talking about you, too." "Introduce me, please do," said "C." "What are you doing, now?" asked Miss Archer, watchful of Nattie's smiling face. Leaving the key open, Nattie explained, to Quimby's unconcealed dissatisfaction; but Miss Archer was delighted. "Oh! do introduce me! Can you any way?" she said. Nattie nodded affirmatively, and taking hold of the key, wrote, "She is as anxious as you are. So allow me to make you acquainted with Miss Archer, a young lady with the prettiest black eyes I ever saw!" "Is she an operator?" asked "C." "Doesn't know a dot from a dash," Nattie answered him.