The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-25
The Euening Story
Crossed Wires.
by Ellis Tower.1

Five short weeks you were here. Sew
en- long days you've been gone. The
first morning I went alone up to An
gler's Rock all our old haunts cried
out for you so that I hurried from
them, unspeakabiy lonely. Every even
ing, when the dances on the hotel
piazza begin, steal down by the lake
and live over again cur hours together
there. Not until tonight, though,
could L fully realize that you have
gone out of my life forever. Dearest
one in all the world, when you know
that love you why should I not speak
of my love? Why should / let conven-
tionality hold me back when 1 am
starving with heart hunger?
1T isn't what the world thinks, but
what you think that l care about, and
you will not misunderstood me. There
isn't an ounce of the cad in you, but
there are tons of true nobility. Be
sides, know that you love me, little,
at least. I can never be wholly I'M
happy, for L shall always have the
memory of that wonderful night when
your dear eyes looked into mine and
your strong hands held mine tightly,
as you told me how 1 had helped you
get back to sane pleasures
Il do not forget how impossible it
is for anything to come of our love, I
remember perfectly that 1 must sup
port my mother and sick sister and
care for them in other ways. l re-
member that your father has only
partially forgiven your college scrapes
and I know how he would regard any
love affair now with a woman five
years your senior ] remember every
cruel circumstance, and yet I dare to
tell you that L love you. I defy con-
Ventionality, for you have walked up
my dormant heart. You've made
cold, hard, practical woman thrill with
the intensity of loves pleasure and
culver with the cruelty of its pain.
And still can say good-by. I can say
it without even asking that you love
me as L love you, or praying that the
bring us together l only pray that
my love for you may carry with it
some blessing. Good-by. JILL"
Miss CurZon finished this letter and
read it carefully through. Then she
Laid both arms on the table, dropped
her head between them and sobbed
heavily. The telephone rang and the
sudden noise startled her. She an
swered in a weak, trembling voice.
The operator apoligized; it was an
error; the wires were crossed, and
somebody else was wanted.
"Ah, yes" she moaned, cit is some
one else who is wanted all the time
Love does not call me; success does
not call me-
Just then she remembered that
success had that day signaled her in
the form of a letter from her literary
agent asking whether she could sup
ply seria, for a publication to be
started soon. But how C uld she write
of love when her own hopeless love
was crushing her chart? She sat
down and wrote a curt note to the
agent stating that it would be impos-
sible to send the story for several
weeks
The telephone rang again. Another
apology-the wires were crossed
again. She hung up the receiver with
jerk and burst into nervous sobbing.
Hearing her sisters voice in the hall,
she hurried the two letters into envel-
opes and concealed them. After good
nights had been said and she was
alone again, she dropped the letters
down the chute and went to her room
to sit by the open window until far
into the night.
During the night storm came and
the next day was SO cold and rainy
that all the hotel guests were kept in
doors. Miss Curzon was the most rest
less person there. Her sisters health
was not improving. In fact, this damp
morning showed her colorless and
frail.
''Oh, I've been blind to everything
but my own helpless love!" Miss
Curzon left her breakfast untasted, |
as remorseful thoughts rushed into |
her mind. I've been selfish and idle |
when it was SO necessary for me to |
DS DuSy. L SnOulQ never nave sent |
either of those letters last night. |
Jack will despise me for a foolish, for |
ward woman, and Barnaby will use |
some other writer's serial VIII
never learn to be rationale" To !
crowd these thoughts from her mind |
she plunged into work.
For the next few days she worked |
hard, but all that she wrote was un-
Fighting remorse and
regret did not aid in good
work. The letters from New York
came to her on the fourth day. One
was in Jacks irregular, boyish hand
address in the upper corner. She
tried to ignore her trembling hands
and pounding heart as she opened
Jacks letter. On one page of per-
fectly correct crested notepaper she
read just this:
My Dear Jill:
First let me congratulate you upon
having arrived in your 'authoring'
while they clamor for serials.
opened this letter expecting to find a
nice, chummy letter like the talks we
used to have at the lake Instead I /
found this brief note to Mr.. S. Barna-
by, evidently some publisher. I'm
returning it, as the street address is
not given and I failed to find him in
he city directory.
1.-The wires must be crossed and the
publishers got my message. So send
ne another one, won't you? I shall
not forget our good times together
md shall hope to hear from you
often. Sincerely,
JACK"
The letter dropped at Miss Curzon's
eet. She was chalky white and her
Toice was a hoarse whisper.
What have 1 done? How can I
.ver explain to Barnaby2" Almost
holding her breath, she resolutely .
opened his letter. AS she read it she
lropped into a chair. spent with re- I
ief. This was his letter:
My Dear Miss Curzon: s
you failed to inclose letter of I