human
The real pleasures were going over the wire. It was my business to make the connections that arrange those pleasures. A little red light would flash--sometimes it would flash straight into my brain--and I'd say 'Number, please?'--always with the rising inflection. Then I'd get the connection and Life would pass through the cords. That was the closest I came to it--operating the cords that it went through. There was a whole city full of it--beautiful, laughing, loving Life. But it was on the wire--just as in Centralia it had been in the pictures--and in the box. And oh I used to get so tired--so tight--operating the cords for Life. Sometimes when I left my chair the whole world was one big red light. And at night they danced dances for me--those little red lights.
gpt
Katie, she suddenly burst forth,
human
But wasn't there _any_ fun, dear?
gpt
Yes, she said.
human
Afterwards. Differently.
gpt
There came a time, said Ann,
human
Your Something Somewhere, said Ann, very low,
gpt
Poor child, she murmured, and the tears were upon Ann's soft brown hair.
human
Poor weary little pilgrim.