The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-10-10
Married Life
the Second Year
BY MABEL HERBERT uRNER.
Warren E, Curtis, Broad Street,
New York CITY. New York


ems father, Dr.. Allen, had sent. And
he had sent it without Helen's knowl-
edge Fer. although she had now been
very i'll for over a week, she still per
sistently refused to let them send for
Warren
Only she knew the cause of her ill
ness-that midnight walk in the yard
with only her bedroom slippers and
light wrap over her night gown.
And when she had come in, and was
feeling her way through the hall in
the dark her cropping hand had touch
ed the telephone. And at that moment
had come the Wild impulse to call up
Warren in New York. She did not stop
to think Of the cost-nor of anything
except that she could end her sus-
pense.
For over half hour she had stood
there, shivering in the dark until Cen
trail could make the connection. And
then. at last, she had heard Warren's
faint Hello" and when she asked
wtldly-what was the maternity
hadn't he written-why hadn't she
heard him SO long-he cut her off, fu-
rious that she should have gone to the
extra expense of this long distance
call
FELL soBBINo ON THE FLOOR.
And she had fallen sobbing on the
hall floor beneath the telephone. and
crouched there in the dark, too wretch
ed to move. When, at length she CROP
ed her way up the stairs, she had
thrown herself OH the bed by the win
dow, still in the dew drenched gown.
The next morning she had had
binding headache and high fever.
And yet she had risen with the deter
mination to go down to the telephone
office and pay for her midnight call to
New York, so it wouldn't be put on
her fathers bill They would then,
never know that she had been desper-
ate enough to try to reach Warren in
this way. If she could only go before
breakfast, before any one saw her and
realized how i'll she was.
She had slipped on her hat and coat
and hurried down stairs, called out to
her mother who was in the dining
room.
I'm going for a little walk before
breakfast I'll be back in fifteen or
twenty minutes"
But as she started out she had met
her father on the porch. In one glance
he had seen something was wrong.
why, Helen, what's the matter?"
Nothing, only l didn't sleep very
we'll, and I thought I'd go for a walk
before breakfast"
But you are sick! You're not able
to go out. Come here and let me see
you!"
"Oh, no; I'll feel better when get
little air"
THEN THE NERVE BROKE.
But he had taken one of her hands
and looked at her closely. Then he had
put her to bed and installed her moth
err as nurse. Before night her fever
had been 104.
The next day she had been worse.
And when he had wanted to send for
Warren-she had refused to let him. 1t
was not, until now, the eighth day of
her illness that he had telegraphed for
Warren without her knowledge.
He had sent the message about sew
en- in the morning. At three o'clock
came this reply:
DR.. M. G. Allen, Cartertown, Mo.
Is my coming imperative? Almost
impossible to leave now. Write if con-
dition is critical.
WARREN E. CURTIS.
With a muttered oath Dr. Allen gaz-
ed at the telegram in his hand. That
Helen's husband should have sent
such an answer! Hurriedly he wrote
this reply:
Warren E. Curtis-Broad street,
New York City, New York
Helen critically ill. Your place is
here. Drop everything, Come.
M. G. Allen.
Mrs. Allen came in just then and
say-the crumpled telegram on the ia
BILE before him.
From WARREN" tremously, as she
picked it up. He nodded.
She read it and laid it down with a
l-l ct nf,,a
that's why she didn't want you to
send for him.
Then the mans a brute. No-decent
man would refuse to come to his wife
under such circumstances.
Martin, I'm afraid" Mrs. Allen hest
tated
I'm afraid Helen is making you be-
lieve she's more i'll than she is-just
so you will send for him.
THE TELEPHONE SECRET OUT.
The doctor paced up and down the
sitting room. his brows knit. Then, not
ing Tom had laid on the table, the
mail, he absently looked it over. This
was the first of the month, and there
were a number of bills. AS he tore
open one from the local telephone
company he was amazed to find an
item for $3.50 long distance service to
New York. May 25th, 11:45 p. m.
He gazed at it in establishment
There must be some mistake And
then flashed thought-could it be
Helen? The night of May 25th! And it
was the morning after that Helen had
been taken ill.
Just then Mrs. Allen passed the
door
Mother. come here a minute" hand
ing her the telephone bill. do you
know anything about this long dis
lance message at midnight, May 25th?
That was the night before Helen was
taken i'll. Could she have called up
Warren. them" ~
A startled look aroused Mrs Aliens
face. "Oh. that explains it-and l
thought it was a dream"
Thought what a dream?"
why. | know now that l heard her
talking to Warren over the telephone.
I must have been half asleep for I
heard only vaguely. Warren-Warren
Why haven't you written? What had
been the matter? | remembered it the
next morning, but thought of course,
/ had dreamed it"
Then that must have been why she