Here's a short story:

CHAPTER IV 

THE WAY INTO PRINT 

Sam Cotting's General Store at Millville divided importance with Bob West's hardware store but was a more popular loafing place for the sparse population of the tiny town. The post office was located in one corner and the telephone booth in another, and this latter institution was regarded with much awe by the simple natives. Once in awhile some one would telephone over to the Junction on some trivial business, but the long-distance call was never employed except by the "nabobs"--the local name for John Merrick and his nieces--or by the manager of the new mill at Royal, who had extended the line to his own office in the heart of the pine forest. 

So, when Uncle John and the girls entered Cotting's store and the little gentleman shut himself up in the telephone booth, a ripple of excitement spread throughout the neighborhood. Skim Clark, the youthful hope of the Widow Clark, who "run the Emporium," happened to be in the store and he rushed out to spread the news that "the nabob's talkin' to New Yoruk!" 

This information demanded immediate attention. Marshall McMahon McNutt, familiarly known as "Peggy" McNutt--because he had once lost a foot in a mowing machine--and who was alleged to be a real estate agent, horse doctor, fancy poultry breeder and palmist, and who also dabbled in the sale of subscription books, life insurance, liniment and watermelons, quickly slid off his front porch across the way and sauntered into Cotting's to participate in the excitement. Seth Davis, the blacksmith, dropped his tools and hurried to the store, and the druggist three doors away--a dapper gentleman known as Nib Corkins--hurriedly locked his door and attended the meeting. Presently the curious group was enlarged by the addition of Nick Thome the liveryman, Lon Taft, a carpenter and general man-of-all-work, and Silas Caldwell the miller, the latter a serious individual who had "jest happened to come acrost from the mill in the nick o' time."  (End of story)

Provide your best guess for the following question. Give ONLY the guess, no other words or explanation.

For example:

Guess: <most likely guess, as short as possible; not a complete sentence, just the guess!>

Here are a few examples of questions and answers:

Question: who used long-distance calls?
Guess: the "nabobs"

Question: what was the name of the town?
Guess: Millville

Question: what was nabob the local name for?
Guess: John Merrick and his nieces

Question: whose store was more popular, Sam's or Bob's?
Guess: Sam's

Question: was it a specific store or a general store?
Guess: General

Question: what did people like to do there?
Guess: loaf

Question: who went in the telephone booth?
Guess: Uncle John

Question: did it cause excitement?
Guess: yes

Question: whose nickname was Peggy?
Guess: Marshall McMahon McNutt

Question: who was Widow Clark related to?
Guess: Skim Clark

Question: were they the one who talked about the phone call?
Guess: Yes

Question: how many professions was Peggy alleged to have?
Guess: Five

Question: what chopped off his foot?
Guess: a mowing machine-

Question: what was Nick Thome's job?
Guess: a liveryman

Question: was Peggy excited?
Guess: Yes

Question: where did he go to participate?
Guess: into Cotting's

Question: did Seth Davis also go?
Guess: Yes

Now answer the following question in the same format.

Question: what were they doing?

watching the nabob's use the phone