The Elbert County tribune., 1915-06-18
"Mistake. ,Cuse it, please"


| ing the windows with a whistling wall
She thought of it bowling through
those deserted canyonlike streets
| around Warrens office.
1mpulsively she turned back to tht
phone-she would call himl
Cortland 1921" Then she waited
eagerly. 1t had been so long since she
had heard Warren's voice on the wire
There had been no occasion to phone
him in London.
She could hear the buzzing at tn.
taking down the receiver did not come
Then at last, Cortland 1923 cont an
swer!"
'Oh, ring them again, central In
sure someone's there"
Another long wait, then centrali
voice with a note of finality, They
don't answer. I'll ring you If / ge
them"
Baffed, Helen hung up the receiver
He must be there! 1t was only thirty
minutes to his office. and it had beer
an hour since he left.
Vaguely anxious, she went back to
her work. Taking off the dusty sheet
that had protected the bed, she turned
down the covers and laid out her night
dress and Warren's pajamas. Some
how the bed, now ready for the night
gave the first touch of home to the
place.
Three times within the next hall
hour she called Warren's office, but
still that baffling, Cortland 1928 don't
answer"
Even If he had started home before
her first call, he would be here by
now. What could it mean? Every
gruesome possibility now obsessed heI
an accident in the subway, in cross
ing dark street. or in the elevator
run by the sleepy watchman.
Was this swift punishment for hei
rebellious thoughts at the monotonous
routine of their home? Was this rou
tine to be broken by some tragedy;
Abject in her remorse, with tempes
tuous change of feeling, her home life
now seemed ideal. If only nothing had
happened to Warren!
By eleven o'clock Helen had worked
herself into a state of feverish anxiety
Unheeding the stinging cold, she had
thrown up the library window and was
leaning far out hoping to recognize
Warren in every muffied figure that
came up the street. Once more she
turned to the telephone.
Central" pleadingly, see If yor
can't get that number now!"
Again the empty buzzing and again
central's Indifferent, They don't an
swer."
Then, with a desperate determine
ton, Helen found the number of a
for a taxi.
In blind. trembling haste she got
back into her travelling suit. This sus
pense she could not bear proment
longer. She was going down to his
office. If he was not there or had moi
been there-then she would have tc
call up some of his family.
She was slipping on her long steam
er coat when the front door banged
A breathless second was followed by
the sound of Warrens heavy step.
He was struggling out of his over.
coat, as with an inarticulate cry Helen
rushed into the hall.
"Oh. IL"
But just then the telephone rang
out clamorously.
Who in thunder knows we're
home?' Shaking off Helen's clinging
arms, he strode into the front room
to answer it.
Hello, what's that? A taxi? You've
got the wrong number" Grossly. I'VE
didn't order any taxi here"
oh, yes-yes, we did," excitedly
Helen caught his arm You'll have to
go down and give the man something
and send him away
Warren stared at her.
"Oh, couldn't get you on the phone
and l was terrified! thought some
thing had happened. IL was going
down to the office!"
Going down to the Office? OF all
'blithering-"
Don't, dear. don't scold me now.
II you won't send that cab away-In
have to-"
You stay where you are." Warren
caught her by the shoulders and al.
most flung her back in the room. Then
the hall door slammed after him.
When he came back, Helen was
curled up on the couch, her face in
the dusty sofa pillows, sobbing nerv.
ously.
Now what I'd like to know is"
Warren stood over her, his hands in
his pockets, "if it's softening of the
brain-or if you're just plain dippy?'
He listened grimly, with an occa.
sional snort, while Helen sobbed out
an account of telephoniIg and her
frantic anxiety.
What number did you callY'