The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1916-06-16

got letter-henC, hello! Don't cut
me off, please"
I'm listening" said Central
"Iie thinks he was ruined in q
plunge of stock this morning, aud I've
got over half of his cash safe, see?
Pulled it out with my own on yester-
days sales My wife's sick up here,
and I had to come. He thinks ! got
cold feet and ran away. Now, we've
got to get word to him at once thaS
he's all right. You and l have got to
put this through or there's going to be
one dead boy down there by morning
Take message. can you, and get Il
through by telegraph anywhere along
tie liner"
Hold the wire. I'll see said Gems
trail
Hampden held it, irowning out at
the trees. crystal white with ice and
snow
>"Hello, just minute, please" she
called back. at think We can get II.
through by way of Newbdrgh. New
burgh seems to respond"
Newburgh did respond. The wires
that way were all up. When the con-
nection was made, his voice sounded
husky to him as he got the Office and
asked for Ted. !
"Why, he's just left, sir" the boy
at the switch answered. Maybe can
catch him in the hall" There was q
pause and something seemed to break
before Hampden's eyes ike a great
noiseless sl1yrocket His brain grew
numb except for the pain through his
shoulder and he slipped Imply to the
floor.
Back in New York, Ted turned
moodily from the elevators and fol-
lowed the boy to the phone booth. His
head tl1robbed with pain. He hated
New York, Hampden, fate, everything, ,
All he wanted was to get out of it.
Then the girl at the end OF the wire
held him Her voice was beautiful,
sweet, CHEEKY, most of all full Of hui
man interest.
nHeilo; is this Mr.. Curtis? This is
Central at Grand Indian. Long dis
tance reports Mr. Hampden who was
calling you fails to respond. ] have
his message. Ready"
Ready" answered Ted eagerly.
"IIis wife is sick. That is why he
was called here suddenly. Wishes me
to state that he took your money out
Of the market yesterday with his
own with profit on sales. Over half
safe. Come to Grand Indian, New
York, at once. Signed, H&fnpden."
When the night train pulled into
Grand Indian; tall figure in storm
ulster swung of and into the little
station. He made straight for the
desk, but the ticket agent said the
telegraph room was upstairs.
"She lives there" he added. Miss
Hewitt. Just knock on the door. She's
up till twelve"
Ted took the narrow stairs IN three
steps and raped on the door quickly.
He had made up all sorts OF speeches
on the way TO this girl who had given
him the word of good cheer, but when
the door opened and he saw her stand
ing there, all he could do was to reach
out his hand and say:
I'm Curtis, Ted Curtis. l wanted
to thank you for hauling me up here.
How's Mr.. Hampden?"
Better" She smiled up at him in
the friendliest way. Her white sweat
er was buttoned close to her chin,
and her hair was rumpled as II she
had been sleeping, but her eyes were
bright and happy as she looked at him, :
Sizing him up as Ted himself would
have expressed it. He must have
had some sort of a shock following
nervous strain, the doctor said. They
haven't told his wife yet They're
both coming out of it all right. !
called up twice after you left New
York to make sure. You see, he had
already given his message when he
fell, so all ] had to do was push it
through and get you. Only I did put
in for you to come at once"
All she had to do. Ted simply
stared at her Did she know just
what q fool he had been, just the sort
of a gutter it was that wrote the let
ter up to Hampden, just how it had
been her call at the end of the wire
that had pulled him pack to sanity
and love OF life, the realization that
up there i1 the mountains somewhere
there was a girl with voice like that
who could make New York look like
thirty cents in the big reckoning.
I'm going right up to the house
now" he said. "I'll get the station
hack to pull me through somehow, but
I'm coming back to see you."
Copyright. 1916 by the Mcclure Hewspa-
per Syndicate)