, 1920-02-05

Central" he fairly roared this
time.
THAT girl is on the line again.
you can't tell me she isn't. I know
her voice.-Yes, dear, this is I. Sweet
heart, where are you? Tell me quick
ly. I'll come right there. Tell me
quickly Hurry, before she shuts us
off"
He spoke so rapidly that his words
formed one long, incoherent yell that
echoed wildly through the big room.
Central, 1 want that numberl 1
want that girl who was talking! Godl
I must talk to herl Get her! Some
one did ring. Didn't / hear it? And 1
heard her voice. Now. there she is
Yes, now l can hear you, darling.
"Now, Central, steady a moment un-
til I find out where this girl is. Where,
dear? Where? Where? Louderl She's
gone, CentralI She's gone! She's
gonew
But suddenly he was talking over a
dead wire. At the other end, a badly
porting to the chief operator the
strange calls from the Telegram Of
fee.
virry walked back = the typewrit-
er and wrote:
ut was you again, but 1 couldn't
hear you.
"If / only knew where you were, I'd
come to you right away. If / only
knew in what direction to go, I'd start
out. But perhaps you'll call again,
and so I'll go on with my letter.
"There are other nights than Satur-
days that are lonely.
Sunday nights you used to go to
the theaters with me. We always had
the same pair of seats, you remember.
"How many songs 1 can remember
that you and / have heard together!
4 Shall Never Forget My First Meet
ing With You'-remember it?
"Then there was "A Woman's Just a
Woman, My Boy, but a Good Cigar Is
n Smoke / remember you didn't like
the song. until it came to the last
verse where it runs, "A woman's still a
woman when a cigars gone up In
smoke'-I don't know about that,
though; 1 can always get another
cigar.
"Then there was that song, Dearie.'
How that word echoed and pulsed and
beat through that magnificent chorus,
just as it echoes and pulses through
my mind!
"Oh, there were so man, songs, so
many plays, so many hours, so many
events, so many thoughts, so many ex-
p~eriences, so many pleasuresl How do
you suppose 1 can write them all
down?
"They are crowding by the thou
sands up into the front of my brain,
demanding a place on this paper-but
here you are again. If I don't get you
this time I'LL"
The telephone really rang this time.
In two bounds he reached 1t.
Hello" he said. Now, Central, be
! more careful this time. If you only
knew how much I want to talk to
her why it's 1! Why, Virry, the
city aditor! Keep off the line, sirl
"Yes, dear, 1 hear you. I'll talk to
you when this man gets off the line.
Hurry up and tell me where you are
before he bothers us again. I'll come
right to you.-The chief? Yes. But
keep off the line, chief. I'll talk to you
later.
what am I doing here? It's eleven
o'clock? Well. what of that.-Get off
the line, sirl By God, get off the line !
You've got a story for me? No, I won't
come downstairs.-Wait a moment,
r,,anttaa,1 U1,,rJ ,o- -o.zloI. -
here? Well. l don't want to be both
cred"
A logged tone was creeping into
Virry's voice. Somehow 1t didn't seem
strange that the chief of police should
be asking him to come down to the
sidewalk.
He was determined to stay at the
telephone until he talked with the
girl.
The pain in his head suddenly be-
came sharper; he thrust his long fin
gers through his hair, right over the
place where the ache seemed the
greatest.-If she could only hear
him
Sweetheart Sweetheart /" he
shouted frantically. Suddenly he be-
came silent. His eyes turned to one
of the doors that opened into the hall
way.
Suddenly he rushed toward the door,
his arms extended. "DarlingW he
cried.
All the longing of his mans heart
sounded in that pleading. ecstatic cry.
He folded his arms, and embraced
nothingl
His right hand went to the top Of
his head. He staggered and fell. face
forward, against the door. His head
struck the glass, which, breaking,
nude a rattle and crash that echoed
and reechnad fhrnnph the hnlIwnvr Of