El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-12
RaH1aPhone
A Short Story.

ECTVT ELL" Mrs. Yale said. and
w there was just the slightest
suspicion OF yelled insoIence
in her voice Wen, Mr.. Cameron,
what do YOU make of it,"
"Ah, my dear ne said. .forp7ve me.
| I am an old man, and have seen so
many unhappy cases which might have
been made happy by a little friendly
advice It is not too late to match I'D
vCur husband
Il have no home, I have M bus-
I band she interrupted haughtfIv You
cannot understand, did NOT meet
YOU TO understand. He let my child ,Iis
He did nos send for me. I win never
live with him again 1 viii never live
! IN hfi house AGAIN, The. separation
must be aHanged He cares for moth
ing but hS8 bOOSs-his wretched. soul
! less books,Ae thinks of nothinc- b1Ir he
poems he creates Bah, poem on
paper-and I had a poem OF flesh and
/ blood. 1 viii never live with him
aEain-neFer-
She was gone. with little rustic Of
garments. before the old lawyer could
He turned and gathered up his pa
pers; ...--
things. Why, this ought to have
brought them closer together. Dear
me but what a world il is 10 be sure,''
Mrs Yale had never forgiven her
husband The boy was two years old,
and for the first time since his birth
she had left home 20 pay a fleeting
visit TO some friends. While she was
away the. child was ,aken i'll with some
baby ailmeut the little life flickered.
went out. and the only news she gOE
of this was the letter that told her he
was dead. She spoke no word of re-
FeH= D fusrHr q gsH
HIM with hatred in her eyes, knowing
that she might have been summoned in
time to clasp q living child TO her
Now. after her visit TO the lawyer she
stood outside the closed nursery door
and hesitated. wondering lf she would
break down amid the old familiar sur
Very Quietly she opened the door II
Ias a long, light room. but the south
window was. open 20 the breeze. white
curtains fiutteyins, and the woman
drew her breath With q sound like
sob 1t did not seem like the room OF
dead child. Open windows. with sun
light fiIte-inE in from two sides. a big
bowl OF yellow primrOses on the table
and plavJhiuEs grouped about as
though q Child'S fingers had been here
but lately. and the big rocking horse
the last Toy she had bought him
cleaning brave and new in its fresh
paint
A little 500 broke from her as she
touched the name.
"Oh. my littlc. little boy"
Then she busted herself sorting over
his clothes but i hurt-COd, how IL
hurt. remembering everything
The wei remembered room rs silent
as the grave, and Yet II was child s
room made for love and laughter.
Suddenly. from tho room Beyond,
there came sound that startled her,
for moment aUgered her. and then au
old expression crept into her eyes.
His tune!
It was a gramaphone playing. and
the melody wound itself around her
heart. reaching all the crooks and cor
rcrs like tiny tendril like fingers feel
ing their way a few months before the
boy had gone from her they had bought
gramopione. not one OF the metallic
sounding inStrUm= nts. but one OF deli
cate CALDER, so that songs reproduced
on ii were songs indeed There was one
song in particular the hoy loved. and
she used TO DI-y Z over and over again
for him. and each time he would clap
his little hands 10 have it played over
again:
''Nebber min yer color ef yer heart
amt black
Better days. am comm soon
Honey, don yer cry,
Shut yer tiny eye.
You'se g'wain to be a FIe yaller coon"
More" he would cry. and she would
put the disc on again; and now. as the
song died into silence she half listened
TO- the childish demand.
The song started again:
Here's a little piCcaniny way down
in Tennessee
she could bear it no longer. and went
to the door, opening it with a sense OF
wonder
The night nursery was lust as spot
less. the window here was open TO
the breeze, but upon the table by the
open window stood the gramophone
and man stood beside it. at sight OF
whom her eyes flashed in anger
You" she cried.
He looked Up. then came towards her.
and, needless OF the anger in her eyes,
he took her hands.
Listen, Marian ne said. Listen"
With her heart beating fast she stood
silent till the song was done for it
seemed wrong to speak OF angry things
here The spirit Of the little dead child
lowered in the room of memories. His
eyes were on her face. and even as with
enc hand he released the needle from
the disc, he kept the other prisoned
in his.
Listen. Marian" he said. did you
hear him laugh"
She started at him with startled eyes.
Almost. so II seemed to her, she heard
baby voice shout out in glee; "Adeni"
Did the dead return?
Again the melody rose and fell on
the quiet air. the breeZes whispered. Z
and the curtains fluttered in the I
breeze
He loves it, whispered the man. ct
day"
She started at him in bewiIdermcnt 7
No, his eyes were sane. The woman I
drew her breath sharply. and il seemed /
as though a bitter weight passed from F.
her bosom She remcmb cred a play she T.
had seen two years before. and as !.
though the words had been shouted at
her she recalled one scene:
There are no dead"
With his hand holding hers she a I
last understood. With n child of flesh D
and blood in that room neither would 4
have sDOker = word OF bitterness or !
uEbraidinE. and II should not be from .
her npS the angry taunt came to dis F,
tress the spirit child whose home was .
here. She drew 4 deep breath
Gle misses YOU he said gravely. &
She looked out at the darkeninS .
landscape and smiled but Terry teuderly. I
CARRIES GAMBLING CHIPS To
POLICE STATION; ARRESTED I
'Tf YOU won't cash these checks"
Charley Weaver a negro. said he - ,
7 .Ouuie Wells and Johnnie Johnson z