Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1921-07-29
A PHONE SlEUTH.
by ALICE MuNoRuou.

HhN ~ sue lhlu lliG magazine SHE Ind
been reading on The table, "Thpre's a
wonderful story about womNn sleuil
who discovered plot to rob bank
and trapped the bandits, But such n
career is not FOR me, I've got 10 keen
on answering calls In that sleepy old
exchange, and plugging In FOR u 10, of
gossIps,"
ION, You never can tell" drnwlod her
brother Joe, MS he settled buck IN the
rocker his sister had vacated. "You
may yet become Steadily Steve or
Sherlock Holmes. Your Jobs lust tho
place for leaks. Listen In and you
may discover conspiracy Of the Reds
or the hiding place OF some real booze,
"oh, have discovered something al.
ready" he cailed after her "only I'm
not going to tell. III let George do It.
Thatll please you better"
Amy slammed the door and pretended
she did not hear this last remark. Some.
times Joe's references to George got
on her nerves." as she expressed It,
AS Amy walked towards the tele.
phone Office to resume her duties nj
the switchboard she suddenly realized
that young Campbell had not visited
them so frequently OF late. ImmedI.
ately she apolog.zed for him to her.
self, pleading the necessity of study.
Ing for the midyear examinations us
excuse
Late the next afternoon there came
a call for Georges number. AS she
made the connections Amy realized
that her heart was beating nerccly.
But what was she hearing2 The
speaker was young attorney who
had recently settled In the town.
Say, George, what are you going to
do about the wife and child?"
"Have reconciliation, suppose"
she heard Georges voice replying.
But how to bring It about stumps
me-"
Yes, that's the only decent thing to
do, I'll try and think up some arrange
ment by tomorrow. Call you up then.
I've got client coming In now; at
lens;, | hope he's client So long"
lie rang off, and Amy sank back
weakly In her chair George married
A wife and child So that was the
explanation Of his absence. How
foolish she had beenl
After supper that night Joe began
his customary teasing.
When George arrived he turned to
Amy and said: Gee, I'm glad those
exams IRE over. l had to cram like
time, and at that I'll bet | tlunked
In that old theory of ethics"
perhaps you fimked In the practise
of ethics, ALSO" bitterly remarked the
girl.
Meaning what?'
Your wife and child, with whom
YOU are seeking a reconciliation"
wife and child--reconcllluton-?
What are you talking about2"
Simply telling you what have
found out while you have been pre-
tending to all of us that you were
single"
"Why, so l am, Whoevers been tell
ing you such scandalous lies-Y
"Nobody's been telling me. l heard
you acknowledge it yourself, this af-
ternoon"
"Where?"
over the phone"
'Phone-'phone--," he echoed,
bewildered. Suddenly wide grin
spread over his face He sat down on
the couch and laughed so long and
that Amy began to fear
that the shock had affected his sanity.
Finally, when he could speak, he ex-
claimed: $50 you heard me talking to
John and thought l meant myself.
Why, you dear girl, that wife and child
exist only In Imagination, and even
then they aren't mine, but belong to
Jim Casper, the hero of novel John
and l are writing together.
you know people wonder how John
to live, he has so few clients.
Well, he keeps going by writing stories
and articles for newspapers. wanted
TO break into the writing game and so
we agreed to collaborate on novel.
But we got stuck at one point in work
ing out the plot That was what you
heard us talking about. Not knowing
the circumstances, II was perfectly
natural you should think as you did"
"Oh, no 1t wasn't. | ought to have
known better, but Joe had been teas
Ing be about becoming detective by
listening in and l guess that made
me excited and suspicious and ready
to jump at conclusions. Can you ever
forgive mel"
Forgive your he laughed. "Why I
must congratulate you. You've detect
ed the solution Of our difficulty. We
can use an overheard telephone CON
versatlon to bring about the recoucil-
latlon In our story,
81 tell you" he cried enthuslastical-
ly, catching both her hands In his,
that book Is going to be the best
seller of the year now that It has three
instead of two"
Amy blushed. Was It at his praise or
for some other reasonT She did not
her hands.
Presently his arms enclrcled her and
he bent down and looked into her