Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-01-03
The
GENERALSHIP
Of PHILLIDA.
By Nellie Cravey Gilmore.
Copyrighted, 1901. by E. z. PARCELS.

time. Her head was thrown back. her
moist, crimson lips broken apart in a
smile, her eyes shining and luminous
Every inch of space in the room seem
ed to vibrate with the mad joy of her
mood
Suddenly the telephone bell in the
corridor pierced the melody with pro.
longed. imperative summons Phillida
jumped up from the instrument and
ran out to answer it, the crimson
splurging into her cheeks.
"One-eight-th ree-five-Mainw
Hello! Is that you, Phil?'
"Me-yes," she replied, ungrammat.
ically and TREMENDOUSLY.
Hartrdge seemed to wait a second
for something. She distinctly heard his
| throat clear, and the kissing little
sound that followed told Phillida that
he caught his breath once or twice
| Then:
"Philida," he said huskily. II hate
like the deuce to tell You, but its got
to be done. and there's no use putting
it off. II am going away"
BILLY! WHAT"
Yes" he rushed on desperately. Ito
MeXico-this afternoon. Like fool
took that $1,000 and invested it in r.
and G. Lost every cent of it. The
governor told me to keep out of buck
ct shops with my blamed foolishness,
but-but"-
"Oh-h, Billy"
well, you see he continued in
hoarse voice, Il had been put next to
one of those private tips and l just
fell in. Now l shall simply have to
get down to work and pay the price Of
my folly in the coin of grim expert
ence"
For moment there was no reply.
Then the girls voice, drab, dispirited,
drfted over the wire:
BILLY, how could you?"
"Why-why. it was this way. Phil"
he cried back eagerly in a final at
tempt at self eXtenuation. II thought
If | could double or maybe treble my
little bank account we wouldn't have
SO long to watt
Something sweet and gurgling broke
suddenly against his ear Hartridge
removed the receiver and stared into
its inane Orifice then he placed it back
and listened. Phillda was laughing
Dear me. YOU stupid Old goose" she
was saying now. Il have all the
money
"Out of the question" he cut in tart
ly. You don't suppose I'm that style of
chump do you? BY Jove, nc. There's
no end of n good chance down there
for energy and determination if Il fel.
low has his living to make-if he
wants to get ahead. There aren't
many opportunities here for the mex.
perienced, and-oh, well, anyway, I've
decided to try my luck. r.
Muffled sobs shut him off perempto-
rily Two receivers tangled simulta-
neously in their hooks, and three min
utes later Hartridge was on his way to
the Pendletons.
Phillida went back to the drawing
room, but it seemed all at once dull
and small and suffocating. She was
too unutterably crushed to do anything
but sink into a chair and hold her
hands. Her heart felt like a stone; her
brain seethed and whirled. Billy going
away! Her realization balked Her
mind simply refused to grasp the fact
And an hour ago she had been the hap
piest girl on the globe.
In a dazed, hopeless fashion she got
up presently and went out into the
flower garden The beds were a gilt.
tering mass Of rainbow color There
were roses everywhere. They nodded
their gentle heads in silent sympathy
with her. Myriads of violets looked up
modestly from their green nests and
cohdoled with her. Perfect pastures of
johnny jump-ups peered pertly at her
, from every direction. A sudden shad
Ow cut through the streaming sunlight
Phillida turned and lifted her face to
Hartrdge's panied eyes.
, BILLY" she said, you were only
Joking
He spoke with gravity she had not
seen in him before.
Not by any means, Phlllida. When
l rang you up it was with the intention
of saying goodby without seeing you
IL felt as though l could not bear it
But when you took it the way you did
a | =
and explain how necessary it is that
should co.
| Phillida dabbed at her eyes with her
. handkerchief and choked back sniff
fle.
IF you really loved me, Billy, you
would not think of going"
/ Hartridge frowned, halfway between
= hurt and displeasure.
2 THAT is just why | am taking this
? step 1t offers the quickest route &c
our happiness"
"But. dear. it seems so foolish and
quiXotic when | have
"Phillida," he interrupted sharply
f ''you are not going 10 send me away
discouraged-afte all?" His tone sank
to an appeal on the last two words.