The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1921-01-06
THE GHOST AT
THE. PHONE
Nv GERrsoN scHAEFFER
(Copyright.)

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tCopyriEht.J
The end of the busy day had come
at last, and H. Miller virry found the
headache still with him.
ALL during the rush hours OF the day,
as he had watched his assignments ana
ideas develop into stories under the
deft work of the reporters, he had
waited. for this hour.
Away back there, somewhere. never
aui. e hidden by the thousands Of ideas
that whlrled through the streets OF MS
| mind. there had been the one thought
that when the day was over he would
write letter.
But about the headache-lately 1t
had never left him. The malady SEEM
ed to be seated in the very dome OF
his head.
Now it was time to write. 1t was
Saturday evening, and he was alone.
A furtive look came into Virrys
eyes. He even crossed the room ana
looked behind locker door that was
standing open. Somehow it did not
seem strange to him that he should 40
this. He wanted to be alone.
He walked over to the police report
er's desk. The typewriter there was
the best in the Office. Macdonald al
ways kept his machine clean.
The steady hum that rose from the
sidewalk told him that it was SIX
o'clock.
The thought of the letter he would
write came forward and waved away
that other consciousness-that he had
not eaten since breakfast-and he
seated himself at the typewriter
again.
He drummed with his long fingers
!, contemplatively, looked about the room
a moment with nervous glance, ana
then began writing, usin. his index
fingers only. as they write who are
self-taught operators:
"The Town Where You Are Not
I "The Day When l Miss You Most
$ 1.-THE Girl Whom l Love;
II Don't Know Where.
Sweetheart:
That cracking sound made hin
Jump again. He began writing:
\ "This letter, sweetheart, will surely
test your love, for have so mucf
trouble to put into 1t that you VII
hardly be able to read it. I'm hardl!
able to write It,"
IA He jumped from his chair and hur
I ried to the telephone.
Il "Hellor' he said. "Hello-hello.
He was annoyed. but courteous. ii
listened a moment.
II "Why, I don't want any number
thought you rang. All right, Central
He returned to his letter:
II "Sometimes I think perhaps 70
know all about 1t. Then 1t seen
| senseless for me to want to write
you.
II AT other times It seems as If 20
! had forgotten all about me. Then
yearn to tell you.
H III you do know, perhaps you ca
| almost look over my shoulder now an
see me writing. That wouldn't y
senseless, though-would 1t, milady
ut would he just like talking Owe
old times that we both knew all abou
Int love to hear each other mention
If you don't know
He went over to the telephone agni
"Hello," he said in his businessliE
manner.
There was always a note OF eNpec
ancy in Virrys telephone "Hello;' II
ring of a telephone in a newspaper Q
t ice may mean great sensation
His left hand was on the top OF h
head. where the ache was heaviest.
IT didn't ring" he heard Centr
say. "A puzzled expression came ov
his face, and he went back to q
typewriter.
YOU would be interested to re-
this, I thought.
1--WE been thinking about you eve
day. And here it Is Saturday Mig
- Saturday nights am loneliest.
- when I first met you, we used
have our six o'clock Saturday dime
at the cafes, didn't we? And then
would take you home.
after n while, I used to come
your home every Saturday night. Y
said you liked that better
$50 many Saturday nights hi
passed since I last saw you"
He smiled. AS he drew away fr
\ ttfe desk the noise Of his chair on
II door and the sound of his footsteps
III sounded through the room. Long
2 the presses had stopped their viii
\ ton, and the building was deser
4 and dark.
His letter had been written SLOW
for 1t required much thinking-a lei
Of that sort.
Hello" he said as he took down
receiver. "Why-why-why" Tn
was an establishment In his voice.
his eyes widened almost irrations
This can't be you!-Central. keep
please.
"Tell me, ACKNOWLEDGMENT