The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-04-30

telephone In the hall not far from his
door, and girl was speaking. Mat
thew did not listen to what she said.
which was of no Importance anyway.
but he listened to the voice. It was
q golden voice, sweet and fresh and
young as the freshest and dewiest
morning In spring. Matthew wondered
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 bespoke 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 for
ever talking about the social activities
of her church were at the table, In
vain Matthew fingered over his coffee !:
the girl did not come in. He heard
her again that night, however. Evil
IDENTIFY she had room not far from
his, Just down the hall. She was at the
door talking to the landlady, and her
voice sounded sweet as ever, fresh as
daisies and sunshine and all sorts of
spring things-this last Matthews
thought, not mine.
But try as he would to meet the
girl of the golden voice, Matthew did
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 1t went for week, a week
during which Matthew added many de-
lightful details to his mental picture
of the girl, such details as dimples and
curling lashes and little hands that
loved to gesture. But her charms, more
potent for being so mysteriously elu-
sive. continued to be invisible, as far
as Matthew was concerned. He heard.
but he never saw her.
The time came when Matthew wss
desperate enough to ask little Simpson,
the shoe clerk, about the girl with the
voice. Simpson was an unromantic
soul he looked puzzled.
The only new girl I've seen around
here is that little dressmaker who sits
at the next table. And l shouldn't call
her girl exactly, either; she'll never
see thirty-ive again in this life."
"Aw, that isn't the one," Matthew
said In deep disgust. "The girl mean
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"
ne said. II 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
girlf He couldn't tell her that he had
fallen In love with a voice. She would
think him daft. The boy grew almost
thin from his obsession, he was unable
to eat any meal without keeping one
eye on the doorway. However, two
weeks went by and there were no
signs Of the girl, although her voice,
continued to be distinctly audible,
sometimes singing, and sometimes
merely using the phone, or talking to
Mrs. Jones. Fortunate Mrs. Jonesl
One night after Matthew had almost
given up hope, he happened to glance
at the next table in the dining room
and notice girl. She was rather a
nice-looking girl with straight dark hair
drawn close about her ears. She wore
a plain white blouse, and her shout
ders dropped little. as If she were
very tired. Matthew noticed her be.
cause abe was evidently Young. not the