The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-05
By
Sara Josephine BayleS.

twelve he closed his door
and hung his and hat upon the rack His eye
fell upon the telephone book lying q table under
the instrument. and the sight OF it brought back
all his trouble with a rush He took it up rufdins
thin closely lettered pages with unhappy frown-
I'D call up every number in the book. il It would
do any good" he said. thoughtfuly and was about
to put 1t down again when the bell began vfbrate
close to his He reached quickly for the re-
ceiver. He thought it too late to be she but her
voice came over the wire, clear and eager and his
face softened yisiby.
Billy"
Hello; didn't suppose it could you SO late
Il know it must be midnight, but IL wanted to
speak to you"
4 wish you'd do something more than
speak. I went Dawson's this afternoon Were
You there?~
mo"
Il believe you're the cruelcst girl the world
"oh, no; never meant to be I've been
thinking things over since talk last even.
ing
Are you going to meet me?"
mo: rang up say soodbys
What"
'Goodby, with a capital G. Billy-for always.
without my ever knowing anything more about
your
Il can't help It I'm sorry. sorry that ever
called you i never thought that you'd take mo
seriously like this. But after what you said last
night, can't on"
but you can't end 1t now after q whole wear
of-of-"
"Of what? OF nothing at ALL You don't care for
mere voice. You'll forget Of It."
Il won't he cried savagely 1T isn't your voice
love know your whole personality. / tell
when you're sad happy sick well. You
care. too. You said But If you ring OF for
always I'll believe forever that you did this
for vile joke 4 vulgar bet
You can't think that" she said gently. when you
remember OF the things have said,
Then I'll forget them
Very well: suppose that is best BE = man
and say goodby. Billy.
'Good-by"
'11l find you II have to dig up every paving stone
in this blasted
''Goodby"
81 tell you l won't say good-by'"
There was no answer. He leaned tensely agains
the telephone listening.
Dear he cried. suddenly.
Only the whirring of the sounded in his ears
He stood erect and hung up the receiver. with a
white face. In the small dark smoking room he be-
gan to pace the rug with steps could
not believe that she had rung OF for the time
yet he felt chill fear that she had really So
He flung himself upon the couch by the window
and looked down upon the countless rooftops below
and the thousands OF lights twinkng far up
down the river
Billy Miller was courted the tels-
phone. The clear girlish voice that bad been .
friend to him for long departed az mysteriousy
as it had come. Three weeks passed. and Billy
each week was eternity in which his soul hun
gered for the vibrations of small bell Socially.
he was much in demand. He went to the theaters.
dinners,
bright dark eyes searched 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 meet
friend. He leaned against pillar, looking idly up
the wide marble staircase II late in the after
and the place thronged with richly
ed men and women continually passing par
1ors to tearoom and from the tearoom the
doors
slender figure down the staircase and
paused at the bottom-the figure OF graceful. well
gowned girl, whose eyes. shining luminous through
her heavy white VEIL rested upon Billy. He her
hesitate moment, then. with futtering gesture
ward her VEIL she crossed the lobby passing close
that she touched his hand. BiIly's fingers closed
something. He opened them and discovered
square of white pasteboard engraved in letters that
flashed woman's upon his consciousness. 1t
not a that he had ever known, but he felt
that every drop of blood his body rushed his
head a sight of the single word written across
in Nobody.
He made rush the revolving doors through
which had gone The attendant reeled aside
he flung himself against and it yielded
plecipitatfng him down the steps
electric hanson stood against the curb. girl
who had Just entered it, leaned forward with 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 before his eyes. His
heart beat and he heard the girl beside him
catch her breath with nervous sob. He twisted
--lf bot f-erh ands in Of