Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-08-01
HER VOICE
BY MILDRED WHITE.


mack on his couch and listened 10
snatches of song in eirHsh voice,
"ll''h came floating through his win.
dow Ii il We're possible To fan in
ioNe with a voice, JoEn loved this
Wc.Iy-Acarted singer Through his
"teNs OF inva'idism, it was not only
nrr song, buJ her merry chatter which
had 'Ltetcd him.
lie had grown To- listen for the
bright Good morning" which This
sune sympathetic contralfo threw hack
to seihe one in the room across the
soot ani ALSO her evening salutation.
lie wondered If it might be husband
Whom his admired one thus greeted "a
lac Went away each morning 10 return
again a night. But because he pre-
lerred 10 think otherwise, John dis
missed HE husband idea and satisfied
himself that sister or Il grl friend
perhaps, Was the recipient of the
sroouHeS-he had never heard il MINIS
tone IN This same apartment across The
roof.
CoHNaIescence was tireSome thing;
reading or writing an exertion unbear-
able. The lonely young man amused
himself with pleasant faucies concern
ing the owner of the happy voice.
He knew that it must be she who
placed bowls OF pansies aud Wild roses
upon The Sill--she would be Just that
kind OF girl; it was strange how
thought of her obSesSed him THE
foolish caprice of an invalid" he told
himself even as he endeavored TO
plan TO meet the girl. An unknown
man may not present himself at the
door of an apartment with the simple
request To see its mistress, neither
would John barrow be able to call
upon some mutual friend to arrange
Introduction.
He was stranger in the city and
had been oyertaken by illness before
he lad found opportunity to become
acquainted.
Its a long, long way to Tippe-
rary' hummed the voice. 1T is"
sighed John. It's a long way to CO."
When he was strong enough to sit
IL chair by the window he was re-
warded by view of a blue-clad little
figure tripping down the apartment
house steps John was excited.
THAT was the girl he decided at
once, whose merry voice SO charmed
him
Twilight was falling across the roof
one evening as he sat hopefully gazing
through the window which faced that
one opposite. Suddenly the air was
riven by a piercing scream followed
Immediately by the demand: Come
over here please. Please come over
! John waited no longer. Had the
plea not been prefaced by that des-
perate scream he might have hest
tated AS it was, he forgot his own
weakness and dashed across the roof.
! The opposite window being open he
slipped through it TO wide living
! room floor.
y am here" John cried. Where
are you? How can | help your
lnvoluntarily he glanced about for
creeping fame. There was no indi-
cation of fire or trouble. The room ap-
peared to be peacefully homelike with
/ its clock ticking on the mantel.
Come here" begged the muffled
voice. Here" John followed breath
lessly into an adjoining apartment
/ This room was vacant also save for
the presence Of a big green parrot fas-
tened by its foot to treelike perch.
Gene here" the parrot repeated,
Immediately initiating its former
scream
AS John sank weakly into chair
ripple of silvery laughter came from
the birds beak quickly changed to
softly hummed-"It's a long, long way
10 Tipperary."
Speechlessly John barrow sat star
ing at the festhered thing before him.
II was impossible, he told himself dis
rustedly, that this ridiculous episode
could be the end of his dream. lmpos-
sible that the clever mimicking tones
of Il bird could awaken In his mans
heart real emotion. Then In relief
came the logical solution. 1t was the
tlrd's mistress who had aroused his
interest and the parrot had become an
echo Of herself.
And as John still sat, white-haired
elderly woman entered the room, paus-
ing astonlshed before his intrusion
When John had grimly explained the
situation the elderly woman smiled
Il have seen your face at the oppo-
site window" she said, and hearing
from the servants of your illness nave
wished to help YOU She laughed
BEING lone old spnster with no one
but parrot for company all day
have plenty of time on my hands. Ia
CONDENSATION for the fright Miss Pony
has given you, hope you will feel Tree
to call upon me TO. reading matter OF
any service that may bestoW'
II thank you" John answered duiiy'
Escorted by the gracious OLD iauy
.be made his way to an ascending exc,
yator. From its doors issued the gir.
~ tho hlue suit whom he had Watcneu