Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-10
CHAPTER VIII
A Woman and the Telephone

| iASN'N"NlfN "dlhs hp ullA ubNi thO 'NN'''
hands casped behind back, head bowed.
brows thoughtful lips tight legs swinging
methodically 10 steps one way, wheeling
on the heel. 15 steps back again.
The monotony of his measured footballs
wore upon my nerves 1 was sick at heart
and wanted comfortnB--yearned for the
sound of a friendly voice and the empty
solace Of hollowly optimistic phrases. When
| I had endured the silence as long as could,
| I snapped at my friend:
ooh, for Heavens sake, say something y
Sevrance paused by the window; did
| not look up, but knew that his eyes were
| upon me.
He whlstled softly Thunder" I" he COM
piled cheerfully, and recommended his con-
stitutional.
! restrained an impulse TO throw some
thing at him. and fell into deep and des-
pondent mood, pondering vainly the mystery
of this latest happening.
What the devil could 1t all mean, any
how?
why. under what imaginable pressure of
circumstances. had she composed that mes
sage? What had induced her to tear it into
such minute shreds? And what had moved
her to reconsider to gather those fragments
of paper together, incose them in an en-
velope and dispatch them to me by mes
senger?
why, finally. had she not rewritten her
note2 II had been as battling as clever
cipher. Purposely so?
My head rang with the opening words
of that eNasperating appeal;
"GOrdon. need yoW Gordon, need yoW
Gordon, need you"
Why? / demanded. What conceivable
peril menaced her? What could menace
Lady Herbert, widow of Sir Henry Herbert
X. c. S, l., mistress OF Saltacres in Lin
colnshire, mistress of millions in her own
right acknowledged queen on her own court
In the social world Of England-ny Hearts
Desire? What could even touch her, wiring
from her an appeal for aid so moving and
SO enigmatic?
"Th' tillyfun-" I suddenly heard Grady
begin.
But pushed him aside and dashed into
the farther apartment, toward the tele-
phone instrument which adorned one wall
/ know not by what mental process. but
it seemed il was made intuitively aware
that some fresh development in this coll OF
mystery was at hand, The bell had not
time to cease its whirrng vibration, the
sound of II was still loud in the air. when
| lifted the receiver from the hook and
put IL to my ear.
Instinctively / was aware that Sevrance
had followed me, treading on tiptoe, the
better TO avoid disturbing me. He was
close by my shoulder when the reply to
my first-I fear horse and discordant-
Hello % sounded along the wire.
The words, when they came were en-
tirely negative in value and dashlng to my
hopes-a chill request from central, / sup
pose. for Sevrance's phone number. / gave
1t. trembling with impatience, and was told
to wait minute.
Abruptly seemed to be aware of a whis-
per-a stage whisper. if may so describe
it-a hushed and guarded repetition of
my name, carrying with it an effect OF
intense strain:
mfr. Trail? Mr., Traill?"
"Ye-es!" I well-nlgh shouted
"Ah-" The exclamation seemed hard
~ more than a sigh, faint and sensitive
sigh, as of relief
A silence followed. wherein l fancied /
caught a sound as of hurried but subdued
breathing soft and distant sibilance
which might reasonably enough have been
charged to the singing Of the wires.
| waited in an agony, muttering over ana
over again, almost inaudibly: We'll? Well?
Well?"
Finally there came one word-hushed-
electrifyng - "Gordon" and l was halt
staggered by the recognition OF that voice
whose appeal, Gordon, need you!" had
seemed so clearly audible to me during the
last two hours.
Julia Z"
Suddenly there was a change seem
now TO see the woman, the dear lady OF
my hearts desire. stralghten herself up and
nerve herself for that subtle and perllous
ruse. Her words came clearly, with cool
and businesslike intonation. l hearkened
without daring to reply.
"Hello! Hellol Is this Roguet ct Cam
pagnia? This is Lady Herbert.
Yes, Lady Herbert. l wish 10
speak at once with Monsieur Roguet-
At the phone. you say? very
we'll / cannot come for the ht-
tings tomorrow l am leaving town suu,
denly and shall not return for seYera'
Then followed a brief pause. I found no
words. 1 seemed stricken dumb with aston
ishment She resumed the one-sided con-
yersation as though she had been listening
with approval to some response
"Yes. Very well. Yes, Inn
mediatey, TO be gone several weeks
fittings and send them as soon as possible
TO Saltacres" Yes, the BLACK jet
first of all. Good day. monsieur
good day"
There followed sharp click then silence
profound and impenetrabe. l put my mn
gers to the bell-and hestated' Ny intent
had been to ring furiously, TO demand an
instant connection with the other statlon'
But a seconds reflection convinced me that
such a course would be perilousi was
slowly qulckening to the suspicion, nay the
knowledge. that the message TO the dress
MAKER monsieur IehhSA +%+~@N
feint 10 mask Julia's purpose 70 INFORM me
Of her future whereabouts
SeVrance, whose manifest impauence
endeavored to allay with a concise account
of what had passed back and forth upon
that wire. He followed me with strained
Interest, his eye at first clouding then
Tightening as he conceived the aeuteness Of
Lady Herberts stratagem. When l had
concluded he threw back his head with
short brisk laugh.
beggarl Who but she would have thought
OF itl Oh, l can see it all-all. as plainly
as though / had been there; Julia at the
phone, mad with anxiety to get word 70
YOU. fearful every instant OF Holzborn's re-
turn. For be would have been out some,
where, would he notf'
nodded.
And then. just as she musteTs up cour-
es a. speak he CONES back, finaz her a
tha inslrument. ana sha has The clever