The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-02-12
lie DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Ell wish the Voiee.
~ MILDRED HALE.
fcouyriGiif 1918, by the Mcclure
aTewEnaneF STndfcate.)

Newspaper Sgndicate)
~ FT9EW was very, very lone
Nv como E4e had been in the CITY
: VI fof sfx months without meeting
anyone . aom he could can congen1a4
cofnnanfon. He was the only young
MN 8, the Office, that Is the only very
wong man, and there were no slE4s
exeept Miss Simons the terr1kylnsy
Gifted stenographer who looked nP MON
Mafthey and his country ways win
supreme disfayor. Even at the mouse ouSe
where he boarded there was no yo9ns
neoDle There was Simpson, the 1ade3
Ftfe shoe clerk who still wore red
80 a. a. challenge to youth, ana
there was Miss Ersidne, q schoo4
teacher with curly fringe. simpson
IN asked Matthew to go to the NOV
~ with him once and Miss Erks1ne
s5nned upon him across the table IN
= wav that was doubtless meant TO
Fa04fTa4e but she reminded Matthew
zoo much OF his own Iirst-grade teaen-
SeT-noS so very many years before
A4ogether, the boy was desperately
lonely. wiEh the kind OF Ionttness tAat
is beginning to be an actual pain. ne
wanted the companionsHip OF pay poys
ana girls like his own crowd at nome
He sat In his room one sunday a.
ternoon trying to tudy IA" DooA'
lonely youth often turns to sett-4m-
proVement. But somehow ne coui4 not
study. his mind kept wandering PACK
"a -DawesvilIe and his friends. What
were they doing now? Tomorrow was
valentines day. Probably Mary Gray
would have a party and Pete Gurus
To1d take Ellen Emery
'sHe wouldn't be taking her II was
4J1e-afpS 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 MS
thoughts wander back to Dawesv!lle
and the Jolly good times OF old Wlst-
fUl thoughts lrey were, too.
Quite suddenly Matthew was roused
by the sound OF voice. There was a
telephone in the hal not fac from MS
dooT, and q 'gi-i was speSsaG. taSI-
thew did not listen to what she salo
whsea was OF no importance anyway
but he listened to the voice. It was
4 OGDEN voice, sweet and fresh and
young as the freshest and oe !a.ss,s
.mo7nine, IN spring. Matthew wondered
Who size could be, the girl WITT tie
voice. A new boGrder, doubtless, one
he had net yeeEce 1t would be jolly
to hive a girl ike that in the house
He tried to picture what she must JOCK
fiyre. Presty, O; ceu--c. Curly hair
thaty DICE certainly bespoke curly hair
-aai DIX c2ee4.s and r-ue eyes. lie
hoped that she would be at elmer, ne
, wanted very much 70 meet her. When
dinner time Gaze he put on his very
newest and most gorgeous tie. bursh-
Ga rs hair. al extra five minutes and
west down fu;l OF e&gernesS to meet
:,aT she vas not visihie-only Mss
.Eisssssae ard the Old lady who was Tor
ever tang about the social activities
OF her cA@.ch were at the table IN
ven MATHEW fingered over his cohee,
t...s g.rl I'D not come in. Re heard
her again that night. however. Evil
IDENTIFY she had a room not far from
his lust down the hall. She Was at the
door talking TO the landlady. and her
voice sounded sweet as ever. fresh as
daises and sunshine and all sorts OF
spring thinGs-this laat Matthews
thought mot mine.
But try as he would to meet the
girl OF the golden voice, Matthew Gu
not succeed. He tried early and he
fr.e1 di~'ng IH.e, but she was Ee"er
sthere He even lowered himself to
stroll past the telephone when he
heard her speaking, but she e4udea
him, her door closed just as he round
Cd the corner OF the hall.
And so it. went for week, a week
during which Matthew added many de-
{1Ightfnl details to his mental picture