The Glenwood post., 1920-01-03
- = 2 -
By Telephone
or1LL1A FRANCES PrkurER

2oooooooooooooo
In species of kesn mental torture
Robert Glenn paced dossa squares
'usrvously until - came % ~thee
street. .The" street was, the oas be
had aimed at for half an hour preced-
ing and could not summon the courage
to traverse-Avon street, where Miss
AIthea rotsyth resided. Hi.p lrs
She WAS fair and thirty: hs was
handsome and forty. She had inde.
pendent means; he. more thania sur.
plus. She was lonely and loueed for
companionship; he was jovial BY ma
ture and tired Of 4 bachelor life. He
had just retired from business
not new and better partnership. that
Of lovep Ye TASK .trnio. hr.
"Why not, indeedr' he reflected. She
had been gracious to him when they
met socially. Yet every time he had
called at her home he had become
dreadfully shy and hustered. He felt
himself unworthy Of condescension on
the part Of this high-born lady: he
feared rejection. -.
Anyway, I'll pass her house. May
be I'll meet her. II not-heigho Call
fornia and exile"
So he. entered ''the" street. His
pulses were beating nightly as he
neared the Forsyth home. He walked
slowly. His heart sank. There was no
one visible about the grounds. The
shades were down, the place looked
uninvtting. He felt his spirits sink to
zero as his final step took him past
and beyond the house. Then low,
waillng sound attracted his attention
and, looking ahead. he made out an
urchin Of about seven crawling out Of
the gutter into which he had slipped
from the walk. upon the sidewalk
were half a dozen letters. The lad
was covered with mud on one side.
"What's the matter, little manr' In
quired Glenn.
The explanation came forth sobbins-
ly. He was the nephew Of the house
maid at the Forsyth home. He had
been sent to mail some letters. He
had slipped, the letters scattered far
and wide. he had gone into the gut
ter. His plight at once interested Mr..
Glenn. The fact that the boy had even
a remote connection with the Forsyth
home recommended him to considera-
ton
.1'll gather up your letters and mail
them," said Mr.. Glenn AZ he placed
them in side coat pocket. "Now, let
us see II we can't make you q little
more presentable," and he spoiled
handkerchief getting the worst Of the
mud of from the victim Of the mishap,
gave him quarter, sent him ON his
way and pursued his own. At the first
mail box he took the letters from his
pocket and posted them. -s~
It was sighful ordeal going b his
hotel, taking his suitcase and starting
for the train. At the hotel there were
two letters for him, but he simply
glanced at the envelopes, saw they
were from friends he was not thinking
of, for his mind was fixed solely on
Althea. With his through ticket to the
coast in his possession, Mr.. Glenn
watched the pretty village fade from
view and felt like banished one going
into exile. .I.
He had not slept much the night
previous and dOzed the flrst 6fty miles
Of travel. 1t was just after noon when
he reused up. He took the unopened
letters from his pocket to read. slit
tho ends OF the envelopes, perused the
contents Of two of them and then
Before he realized 1t Robert Glenn
was reading a brief letter from Althea
Forsyth to her sister. It must Be that
in posting the letters the boy had drop
ped Glenn had missed ons. In hlA peck
ct. He stared, he thrilled, he weo
electrified. ...r. to-
"Dear sister," 1t read. ''the gentle
man wrote you about Ii going away
and am very much depressed. fear
my happy hopes were delusions.
flonged to know him better. to show
how I cherished his manly sxcellence.
to cali him Robert can write no
more Just now" ,., a.
The train stopped Just there. With
radiant face. disdainful Of his
through ticket, Robert Glenn dashed
for the platform, into the nrst to.
phone exchange and called up loas-
distance; His eagerness and excite
ment made him tremble. His voice
was gasping and unsteady. Arsspond-
ing one sounded sweetest music to AiS
famished soul.
"Athea I" he uttered.
"Wh0 are you, sirr'
II am Robert" g..
'Oh. that's differsnti Yss. Mr..
Glenn. what u It, pleasef' 81
Il have just left the train headed for
California. quite unintentionally
opened q letter you had written 10
your sister. Can 1t be possible that
you care enough for me to ask me to
defer my journey7"
II should miss you. Mr.. Glenn"
"SAy Robert and I will bs back on
the flrDt train"