Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-01
THE VIBRANT WIRE.
By
Sara Josephine BayIes.

every step he felt that those unknown eyes
might be following aim. and once. when a
girl looked at him overlong. he turned and
| half spoke ~
] The following afternoon he went IN Dav
| son galleries. Why he went he could NOT
! have told. except that he was moved as
the drowning man Is moved to grasp at a
| stray" There he saw girl in a big black
nat whose glance was softly impersoual
biliy looked at her and wondered There
was another woman who returned boldly
ms bright. questioning gaze-a tall. lean
person with prominent eyes and Billy
shuddered as he turned away
she can't be like that" he protested in
| warqiy II isn't possible" and he thrilled
| suddenly at the memory OF the voice with
the SOD in 1t. Dear Billy, no no no no
| stake my life on that voice" he thought
ana looked again at the girl In the black
Suddenly he threw back his head and
walked across to where she stood. before
large painting. lie leaned forward and
| looked keenly into her face.
| 80 You came. after all. no said
| 4 ne girl retreated in genuine surprise
ihere was nothing in her clear brown eyes
| but startled dispeasure
| You're mistaken, l think" She said ami
| turned her shoulder upon him
billy muttered an apology as he walked
away. He left the gallery with lot
| 1T wasn't her Voice" he told himself
| and III never try that again"
Late that night he left his club. where
he had dined and spent the evening at
cards. The mission clock in his lai
struck u as he closed his own door ami
hung his coat and hat upon the rack His
eye teli upon the telephone book lying On
table under the instrument, and the sight
OF 1t brought back all his trouble with
rush. lie took It up, rutfl!ng thin closely
iettered pages with an unhappy frown.
car up every number in the book
If it would do any good" he said
thoughtfully, and was about to put 1t
Gown again when the bell began to vibrate
close to his ear. He reached Quickly for
the receiver. He thought 1t too late 10 he
she. but her voice came over the wire,
clear and eager, and his face softened
visihly.
Billy"
so late"
Il know 1T must be midnight, but II
wanted to speak to YOU"
wish you'd want to do something more
than speak 1 went to Dawson's this
afternoon tern Were you there7"
Il believe you're the cruelest girl In the
world"
oh, no: I never meant to be cruel I've
oeen thinking things over ever since our
talk last evening""
Are you going to meet me?'
NO. NO; l rang up to say goodbye"
Goodbye. with a capital @, Billy-for
always"
Nv, Without sno,I, my ever knowing anything
Il can't help it I'm sorry, sorry. that L
ever called you up. 1 never thought that
you'd take me seriously like this But
after what you said last night. We can't
go on
But you can't end it now after a whole
"Of what? OF nothing at ALL You don't
care for a mere voice. You'll soon forget
Il won't" he cried savagely at isn't
your voice d! love. know your whole
personality :! can tell when you're sad or
happy or sick we'll. You care, too. You
SAID So But If you ring off for always
now III believe forever that you did this
io .ry a vie Joke or vulgar bet"
You can't think that" she said gently
when you remember some of the things 1
have said.
Then I'll forget them"
very well; | suppose that is best. Be
man and say goodbye, Billy
No"
Goodbye"
"In find you If I have to dig up every
paving stone in this blasted town"
Goodbye"
There was no answer. He leaned tense
| ~ against the telephone listening
Dear he cried, suddenly
Only the whirring of the wires sounded
| In his ears. He stood erect and hung up the
| receiver. with white face. In the small
| dark smoking room he began to pace the
rug with nervous steps. He could not be-
Neve that she had rung off for the last time
|
done so. He flung himself upon the couch
| by the window. and looked down upon the
countless rooftops below, and the thousands
of lights twinklng far up and down the
! river.
Billy Miller was courted no more over the
telephone The clear girlish voice that had
been a friend to him for SO long departed
as mysteriously as 1t had come. Three
| weeks passed, and to Billy each week was
an eternity in which his soul hungered for
the vibrations of small bell. Socially,
he was much in demand. He went to the
theaters. to dinners. to receptions, and
everywhere his bright dark eyes searched a
sea Of strange faces. and he returned home
dissatisfied and perplexed.
On an afternoon in January he stood In
| the lobby of one of the big hotels where he
! had come to meet friend. He leaned
| against pillar, looking idly up the wide
| noon, and the place was thronged with
| richly dressed men and women continually
passing from Darlors to tea room, and
| from the tea room to the entrance doors.
slender figure came down the staircase
and paused at the bottom-the figure of a
graceful, well-gowned girl, whose eyes,
shining luminous through her heavy white
VEIL rested upon Billy. He saw her hesi-
tate a moment then. with futterng gesture
| toward her veil. she crossed the lobby,
passing SO close that she touched his hand.
Billys fingers closed over something. He
opened them and discovered a square of
white pasteboard. engraved in letters that
flashed woman's name upon his con-
sciousness. 1t was not name that he had
| ever known, but he felt that every drop of
blood in his body rushed to his head at
sight of the single word written across I'm
pencil-Nobody.
He made a rush for the revolving doors
through which she had gone. The attend
ant reeled aside he flung himself against
the brass bar and 1t yielded, precipitating
him down the steps.
An electric hanson stood against the
| OF r1 yUh n 40 met
leaned forward with a slight inclination of
her head. He stepped in beside her. the
doors closed. and the cab started forward
in the crush of moving vehicles.
For moment Billy sat motionless, while
the lights along the avenue blurred red be-
fore his eyes. His heart beat fast. and he
heard the girl beside him catch her breath
with nervous sob. He twisted abruptly,
caught both her hands in one OF his and.
leaning forward. raised her veil. The cleo
trio light fell full her wide, pleading
eyes and trembling lips With low, salts
fed laugh he leaned nearer.
Thank God. you can't ring off," he said.
Among the Pleasure Craft.