The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-19
EVENING STORY
The Girl With the Voice.
BY MILDREDHALE<

e.
He had been in the city for six months
without meeting anyone whom he
could call congenial companion. He
was the only young man in the office,
that is the only very young man, and
there were no girls except Miss Sim
ons the terrifyingly citified stem
ographer who looked upon Matthew
and his country way with supreme
disfavor. Even at the house where he
boarded there were no young people.
There was Simpson, the faded little
shoe clerk who still wore red ties as
challenge to youth, and there was
Miss Erskine, a school teacher with a
curly fringe. Simpson had asked
Matthew to go to the movies with him
once, and Miss Erskine smiled upon
him across the table in a way that
was doubtless meant to captivate, but
she reminded Matthew too much of
his own first-g grade teacher-not no
very many years before. Altogether,
the boy was desperately lonely, with
the kind of loneliness that is begin
ming to be an actual pain. He wanted
the companionship of gay boys and
girls like his own crowd at home.
He sat in his room one Sunday af-
ternoon trying to study law book;
lonely youth often turns to self-im-
provement. But somehow he could
not study, his mind kept wandering
back to Dawesville and his friends.
What were they doing now? Tomor-
row was Valentines day. Probably
Mary Gray would have a party. and
Pete Curtis would take Ellen Emery.
He wouldn't be taking her il 1 was
there." thought Matthew. And he be-
gan to wish that he were there, in
spite of the glory of living in New
York; He forgot the law book and
let his thoughts wander back to
Dawesville and the Jolly good times OF
old. Wistful thoughts they were. 100
Quite suddenly Matthew was reused
by the sound of voice. There was
a telephone in the hail not far from
his door, and girl was speaking.
Matthew did not listen to what she
said, which was of no Importance any
way, but he listened to the voice. 1t
was a golden voice, sweet and fresh
morning in spring. Matthew Won
dered who she could be, the girl with
the voice A new boarder, doubtless,
one he had not yet seen. 1t would
be jolly to have a girl like that in the
house. He tried to picture what she
must look like Pretty, OF course
Curly hair-that voice certainly be-
spoke curly hair-and pink cheeks
and blue eyes He hoped that she
would be at dinner, he wanted very
much to meet her. When dinner time
came he put on his very newest and
most gorgeous tie, brushed his hair an
extra five minutes and went down full
of eagerness to meet that girl.
But she was not visible-only Miss
Erskine and the old lady who was
forever talking about the social activ-
tiles of her church were at the table.
In vain Matthew fingered over his cof-
fee, the girl did not come in. He
heard her again that night, however.
Evidently she had room not far
h ic ho q
WIS at the door talking to the land
lady, and her voice sounded sweet as
even fresh as daisies and sunshine
and all sorts of spring, things-this
last Matthews thought, not mine.
gBut try as he9would to meet the
not succeed. He tried early and he
tried dining late, but she was never
there. He even lowered himself to
stroll past the telephone when he
heard her speaking. but she eluded
him, her door closed just as he round
ed the corner of the hall.
And SO. it went for week, week
during which Matthew added many
delightful details to his mental pic
ture of the girl, such details as dim
pies aud curling lashes and little
hands that loved to gesture. But her
charms. more potent for being SO mys-
teriously elusive, continued to be in
cerned. - He heard, but he never saw
her.
y The time came when Matthew was
desperate enough to ask little Simp-
son the shoe clerk, about the girl with
the voice. Simpson was an uproman-
tic soul. he looked puzzled.
The only girl I've seen around here
is that little dressmaker who sits at
the next table. And I shouldn't call
her a girl exactly. either; she'll never
see thirty-five again in this life"
Jaw, that isn't the one, Matthew
is young and has curly-a sort of nice
voice. I've heard her talking over
the phone"
Simpson shook his head
Il guess you were hearing things"
he said. Il haven't seen any girl
around this place. Ask Mrs. JONES'
But Matthew shrank from asking
Mrs. Jones, the landlady. How should
she understand his interest in this
girl? He couldn't tell her that he had
think him daft. The boy grew almost
thin from his obsession, he was unable
to eat any meal without keeping one
eve on the doorway. However. two
weeks went by and there were no signs
of the girlS altho her voice continued
to Ne distinctly audible. sometimes
singing, and sometimes merely using
the phone, or talking to Mrs. Jones. |
Fortunate Mrs. Jonesi
One night after Matthew had almost
given up hope, he happened to glance
at the next table-in the dining room
and notice a girl. She was rather a
plain girl, with straight dark hair !
drawn close about her ears. She wore |
a plain white blouse. and her shoulders |
dropped a little, as if she were very /
tired. Matthew. noticed her because !
she was evidently young, not the girl, |
hIlf a a
nice one. More than that, she looked |
ia miliar. He was sure that he had |
seen her somewhere before. He looked |
and looked, piecing together vague |
He had seen her in Dawes
vile! In school. very likely. Perhap s.
she was one of the Murray girls; they |
had hair like that. BY, the time din
ner was over Matthew had decided |
very d .finitely that this was Alice /
a nice little thing to whom |