Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-01-13
vi. RECALLED,

At first no more than ghOstly echo in
the dimensionless and silent vast which
lay between intelligence and body, that
shrill small voice gained strength of
it's very perseverance, became a thin
thread of impOrtunate sound, calling,
calling without pause or pity, till it
fairly ground it's character into that
indefinitely dissociate mentality; a
telephone was ringing.
The body resting on the bed in that
darkened chamber stirred uneasily
and flung out a hand of ineffective
protest. The noise persisted relent-
Iessly. The somnambulist started up
on an elbow, made as if to rise, sank
back again with sigh of relief when
the ringing was suddenly interrupted.
She lay with open eyes, unwinking,
in a confusion of divided conscious
ness aware of the snug darkness of
that room so intimately her own, of
the rain clashing outside the window,
of the wan light streaming in from
the street, of the blank, moOnlike face
of the little clock upon the dressing
table; and at the same time living in
tensely in that distant place where
two wills were contending, striving
each to impose upon the other it's
conception of what was right, fair,
just, and inevitable.
1t was as if her mind were a photo
graphic plate upon which two scenes
had been developed: one wherein her
coIf Of
securely at home, one in which that
wild other self of her dreams dis
puted hotly with the man she loved,
in surroundings strange to both selves
till that hour.
Of the two scenes, the stranger was
tered therein, and all other things
we're negligible beside the issue of that
struggle, since that issue must be
| (this she knew the passionate certi-
tude) nothing less than life or death,
| life with love or death with shame.
And she was racked with the i'm
perative need of making Leonora un-
der ~tand that Mario was right, that
no good could come of standing out
against him, that nothing but good
could come of yielding to his insist
ence, the fruit of his great love and
greater wisdom. Percipience of her
bodily environment was waning swift
ly: with all her strength she was will
ing herself back to Leonora
The telephone began again to glib
ber, in short, strident bursts of sound
demanding her heed.
She faltered, hesitated, looked back.
In bitter resentment, she understood
she could go no further, accomplish
nothing, till that insensate thing had
been silenced.
In sleep-waking, the girl reused with
measured movements that cost her in
calculable effort, sat up on the side
| of the bed, drew the telephone to her.
It continued to chatter angrily till the
receiver was actually at her ear and
she had said: "Hello?"
Out of the enigma of night Philip
Fosdick's voice cried: "Priscilla!"
She answered without emotion
Eyes, Philip"
did I wake you up? Sorry! I had
to. Listen to me Priscilla: I've seen
Leonoral I saw her in the street, fol
lowed her for blocks, lost her when
she entered a tenement; and now I'm
on the watch, waiting for her to come
out. I had to be sure you were at
home-safe-so 1 called up from a
pay station. Are you all right?"
eyes, Philip"
"Are you quite awake? You don't
seem to understand. I tell you, have
seen Leonora-the girl you dream
about-a living woman so like you
couldn't at first believe it wasn't you
in disguise"
"Yes, Philip"
$50 now you needn't worry any
more. Pm on the right track at last
The problem will be solved in no time
once clap my eyes on that girl
again."
Eyes, Philip"
priscilla! Can't you say anything
else? Is anything the matter?'
the same level accents, speaking
slowly, as if with difficulty finding
words: 81 am quite all right
I am safe with Mario now
Mario will take good care OF
me. Goodnight"
Without waiting for his reply, she
hung up the receiver replaced the tele
phone on the bedside stand, sighed
and again stretched out upon the bed
Immediately deep sleep enfolded
her senses like warm cloud of dark
ness, and her soul Jared forth once
more on its far quest.