The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-05-18
PERIODICAL
. bv ROBERT Q. BROWN.

Homer farker udu uSSci AHA
affaire de occur and the most singular
thing about it 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 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 cynic-i
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 tnef
phone to call up friend. The line
was busy, he listened a 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 MIN 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 MIN,
| filed him, and he could not get 1t out
of his mind the whole day.
That night he patiently held the
j receiver to his ear for half an hour,
hoping ever that the same voice
would call again.
i 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.
i 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 it, 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 IL
4 was solely in the interests OF music
/ that he wished to find the owner OF
, that voice.
, Hurriedly putting on his hat and
coat he rushed to the telephone omce-
There he found the names and ad-
a dresses of the three parties on his
+ line and then he returned home eager
. ". They were all on his street; that
q voice lived within a block OF him
= and yet he did not know its owner.
The thought maddened him, ne
brooded over it, rushed to the phone
in hope of again hearing it-but the
y line was silent.
: Suddenly an idea came to him. He
4 would call up each of the houses on
= that line and then he could easily
n locate the voice.
His first attempt was unsuccessful;
:, he excused himself by saying that he
a had gotten the wrong number.
"a Then he called up the next on his
20 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 happy sigh.
miss Cornelia CORTLAND" he reat
:. 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 Goa
= he went out into the street and saun
- tered past the house which containe'
=. that voice. Then he went into
=. corner store and waited.
40 Finally a woman came from tn
house. HIS eyes fairly devoured ne
as she came up the street. Her ores
was smart, there was no Earring {
at colors in what she wore. there wa
IN AN artistic air about her that was al
&C. pealing. To Parker she was divine
up He stood awkwardly looking int
ric a showcase when she entered tn
10 store.
pun Good morning, Mrs. Kendall. no
&C. Is your aunt Miss CORTLAND, today
lat inquired the affable proprietor OF II
store.
'ns Somewhat better. thank you
: warbled that divine voice, wiid
lnu Parker recognized in moment.
CIV His head swan, his fingers gre
ae cold. With compressed feelir
,oa about his chest he strobe out into u
open air.
Madly he rushed to his roo'
hacked up his belongings, and mov'
far away from that telephone line.
A month later he sighed, as ne
before his bachelor fire. musing