The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1907-04-11
MADNESS
By RosERT G. BROWN.

L
affaire de occur and the most singular
thing about 1t was that Homer was
80 years old.
Love had always been somewhat
of a joke to him. He had never
looked the question fairly in the face
and he laughed at the possibility Of
ever doing so.
love is a sort of periodical mad
ness" he used to argue to himself
They all get over it after a year or
two and then they look sourly at the
minister who was responsible for ty'
ing them up, or down, to love-"
In other words, Parker was a cynic.
He scoffed at love, made light of it,
and boasted his impenetrability
He was welded to his art. and his
art was music. There could never
have been a better match. for Parker
loved his music as himself.
One day the bachelor went to the
phone to call up friend. The line
was busy, he listened moment.
Then he listened little longer.
A sweet, mellow, musical voice
fioated over the wire. He had never
before heard the like. The beauty.
the fullness of that voice held him to
the instrument
Surely" he thought, 'the woman
who possesses that voice must be diff.
ferent." And then he listened some
more--the sweet voice thrilled him,
filled him, and he could not get it out
of his mind the whole day.
That night he patiently held the
receiver to his ear for half an hour.
hoping ever that the same voice
would call again.
But his efforts were unrewarded
and he went to bed, his brain pulsat.
ing with the discovery and his mind
seeking for the owner OF that voice.
The next morning he listened at
the phone and again he heard the
same tones He stood entranced and
listened. There was no other voice
on earth like il. to Parker.
An all consuming desire came over
him as he hung up the receiver. he
determined to seek out and find that
voice.
A small suspicion of love came into
his mind. but he laughed it aside in
his hurry to assure himself that ii
was solely in the interests of music
that voice.
Hurriedly putting on his hat and
coat he rushed to the telephone Office
There he found the names and ad
dresses of the three parties on his
line and then he returned home eager
ly. They were all on his street; that
voice lived within a block OF him
and yet he did not know it's owner.
The thought maddened him, he
brooded over it, rushed to the phone
in hope of again hearing it-but the
line was silent.
Suddenly an idea came to him. He
-Moulsb -sall- LII each Of the houses On
that line and then he could easily
locate the voice.
His first attempt was unsuccessful;
he excused himself by saying that he
had gotten The wrong number.
Then he called up the next on his
list A sudden thrill shot through
him as he heard the soft Hello and
realized that it was addressed to him.
He said nothing, he had found it, and,
accordingly, he quietly hung up the
receiver with a happy sigh.
Miss Cornelia Courtland," he read
from his list "Well, that's funny,
she can't live there alone, can she?
But it relieves my mind on one score,
anyway. She is not married"
Again putting on his hat and coat
he went out into the street and saun-
tered past the house which contained
that voice. Then he went into a
corner store and waited.
Finally a woman came from the
house. His eyes fairly devoured her
as she came up the street. Her dress
was smart, there was no Earring of
colors in what she wore, there was
an artistic air about her that was ap-
peallng. To Parker she was divine.
He stood awkwardly looking into
showcase when she entered the
store.
Good morning, Mrs. Kendall, how
Is your aunt, Miss CORTLAND, today"
inquired the affable proprietor of the
store
Somewhat better, thank you,"
warbled that divine voice, which
Parker recognized in moment.
His head swan, his fingers grew
cold. With a compressed feeling
about his chest he strobe out into the
open air.
Madly he rushed to his room.
packed up his belongings, and moved
far away from that telephone line.
A month later he sighed, as he sat
before his bachelor fire, musing to
himself: Love is sort of periodical
madness, they all get over 1t In
year or two. BY George! l hope l do"
Just Gentle Hint.
Chief Justice Fuller apparently