Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-30

, side, put her hands timidly on his
hanging arms, and cried wonderingly
Neal, Neal-what's the matter? Are
you blue. dear?'
Such tiny, timid. whispered. half
reluctant word-that "dear"-but
pressed my hand tighter against the
telephone transmitter till the hard
rubber circle bruised and hurt
couldn't fasten my eyes on the tele-
phone, thought confess that. l had
to watch Neal.
Then Neal leaped to his feet, as if
Phoebe's touch-her words-somehow
had the power to renew him. He
caught both her hands in his and drew
them against him. They stood there
at what they have done. Then Neal
murmured-and 1 felt my own heart
throb at the passion in his voice:
ooh, little Phoebe-you, you Won
der! You'd stand by a fellow-no
matter how far he was down. know
you would
Then his eyes lifted and met mine.
The softness went out of them and a
challenging defiance took its place.
I wondered how much this really
meant to Neal. l could see that
Phoebe was vibrating in response to
his every tone. Perhaps her sincerity
at once timid and fearless-would
call out something more in Neal than
a boys attraction to the sweet, warm
youth of her. 1 didn't want Envy to
have a chance at my brother-a
chance at Phoebe's happiness; but she
was waiting at the other end of the
telephone wire-and l must call Neal.
had to moisten my lips before l
could say:
You're wanted at the phone. Neal"
Neal started. his eyes hardened a
bit more, and his hands closed
tighter for a second about Phoebe's.
l turned my back as 1 put the re-
ceiver on the top of the telephone
box. Then l crossed to the win
dows. Phoebe might have a min
ute to readiust herself.
Meals voice spoke into the tele-
phone as calmly and as evenly as
if l had only dreamed that he had
been holding trembling little girl
close to him moment before.
"Yes-yes, this is Mr.. Hyland
oh, Yes it's Neal. Yes-Yes, account
on me-. You sure can. All right, 1
will. Good-by."
The long gaps between his noncom-
dered what Envy had been asking of
him: His acceptance made me doubt
again his sincerity to Phoebe But
Just as Neal was putting up the re-
ceiver and before a word could be
said, Jim came back with the string
wrought silver.
"Oh, JIM" cried Phoebe in joy that
as almost breathless. THAT lovely
necklace for me! And it was mothers.
VIII you put il on me, dear?"
She lifted her slim white throat and
as Jim held the wonderful old chain
against it. Neal caught my hand in
a grip that hurt. Phoebe snuggled up
to Jim, and l think a tear or two
dampened his coat before she drew
herself away and started to make a
dash for the mirror. which Jim stop
ped by holding her close.
Not so fast kiddie" he cried, de-
lighted at the success of his gift. "The
clasp doesn't fasten-it must be fixed
so I've been holding your jewels
around your lily-white throat. Now
I'll put the necklace back in its case
and transport it and you home. You're
too excited to be trusted out without
a guardian"
Meals eyes sought mine-and then
caught themselves away. He started
toward Jim as if he We're going to say
denly, and Neal. biting his lips, al
most skunk across the room. and put
ting the table between him and the
door. stood balancing on his heels un-
easily-but with an effort to seem en-
tirely at ease.
Phoebe stood a moment in troubled
silence-then she came to me for her
goodnight kiss.
As her lips trembled against mine
1 felt that they asked a question. I
could guess what the question was
but l didn't know the answer.
ITO BE COntinued