Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-12

fell upon the telephone book lying on table under
the instrument, and the sight of if brought hock
all his trouble with rush. He took it up. r,aiing
thin closely lettered pages with an unbannv froun
I'D call up every number in the book. if r. would
do any good" he said thoughtfully and r,os ,ho,.
to put it down again when the bell bee.n - ~.
close to his He reached quickly for t,.
ceiver He thought it<too late to be sbe hut 49,
voice came over the wire, clear aud eager. and hi.
face softened visibly
"Billy"
Hello; didn't suppose it could be You so late y
81 know it must be midnight but II wan+ed =,
speak to you"
81 wish you'd want to do something moro tho,
speak. I went to Dawsons this afternoon. Were
you there?"
mo"
'T believe you're the cruelest girl in the world
on no; never meant to be cruel I've been
thinking things ever since our talk last even.
ing"
Are you going to meet me?"
mo- rang up to say goodby"
"what?"
"Good-by, with capital G., Billy-for ALWAYS"
Without my ever knowing anything more abont
your"
II can't help it. I'm sorry, sorry that ever
called you up. I never thought that you'd take me
seriously like this. But after what you said last
night, can't go on"
"But you can't end it now after a whole voor
of-of-"
''of what? OF nothing at all. You don't care for
mere voice You'll forget all of it."
II won't" he cried savagely. 1T isn't your voice
love- I know your whole personality I can tell
when you're sad or happy, or sick or we'll Rou
care, too. You said so. But If you ring off for
always now I'll believe forever that you did this
for a/vile joke vulgar bet"
"You can't think that" she said gently, 'when YOU
remember some of the things have said"
"Then I'll forget them"
''very WE'LL suppose that is best. Be man
and say good-by, Billy"
mo"
"Good,by"
Tll find you IL have to dig I'D every paving stone
in this blasted town"
"Good-by." erz\
"I tell you won't say 'good-by'." fas 9-ztt
There He leaned tensely against
the telephone listening
Dear" he cried, suddenly 4s>
Only the whirring of the wires sounded in his ears
He stood erect and hung up the receiver, with a
gan to pace the rug with nervous steps. He could
not believe that she had rung off for the last time,
yet he felt chill fear that she had really done So
He flung himself upon the couch by the window,
and looked down upon the countless rooftops below
and the thousands Of lights twinkling far up and
down the river
Billy Miller courted more the tele
phone. The clear girlish voice that had been
friend to him for SO long departed mysterously
as 1t had come Three weeks passed, and to Billy
each week was an eternity in which his soul hun
gered 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 searched of strange faces,
land he returned home dissatisfied and perpexed.
On an afternoon in January he stood in the lobby
of one of the big hotels where he had come to meet
afriend He leaned against pillar. looking idly up
the wide marble staircase 1t late in the after
noon and the place thronged with richly dress
ed and women continually passing from par
lors to tea-room and from the tearoom to the en-
trance DOORS
slender figure down the staircase and
paused at the bottomthe figure of graceful, we'll
gowned girl whose eyes, shining luminous through
her heavy white VEIL rested upon Billy. He saw her
hesitate moment, then, with futterng gesture to-
ward her VEIL she crossed the lobby passing close
that she touched his hand. Billys fingers closed
over something. He opened them and discovered
square of white pasteboard engraved in letters tnat
flashed a woman's name upon his consciousness IL
not name that he had ever known, Dut ne Ieir
that drop of blood in his body rushed TO MS
head at sight of the single word written across
in pencil-"Nobody."
He made rush for the revolving doors through
which she had gone. The attendant reeeo asiue 40
he flung himself against the brass bar and IL yeiqeo
precpitating him down the steps
An electric hanson stood against the curp grb
who had just entered it, leaned FORWARD Win stisnl
inclination of her head He stepped in Beside her.
the doors closed and the cab started forward IN