A Telephonic Conversation

The story humorously shows how an ordinary phone call can turn into pure comedy. The narrator, busy writing a serious article, is constantly disturbed by a telephonic conversation taking place in the room. Though uninterested, he is forced to overhear a lady’s long-distance chat with Mrs. Bagley. The funniest part is that he only hears one side of the conversation, leaving him unable to make head or tail of the talk. Why does the lady shout every word as if the phone were deaf? How many times can “Good-bye” really be said before the call finally ends? And how long can anyone hold up the receiver without fainting? Read this witty tale to discover how Mark Twain could turn even a simple phone call into complete comedy.