The Raymer enterprise. (New Raymer, Weld County, Colo.) 1910-19??, 1921-12-08
HER SUMMONS
BY JOHN WESTON.



toned to the confusing ways Of city,
and when Barrie first saw her. his
heart went out to her. He had come
recently himself from an affectlonate
Scotch home, to the cold barrenness
Of q boarding house, and his sympa-
thies were dormant. Phyllis, lowering
like some frightened butterfly In the
dlngy hall, had gone forward to him
In shy easerness. as he came down the
stair.
Please" she said, 81 have rung the
bell several times, but nobody answers.
VIII you tell me where l can find
Mrs. Banby? have rented her rear
bedroom
Come on up" invited Barrie cheer
lily, "I'll show you the way; Mrs. Ban
by's probably out in the yard. the rear
room Is right next to mine
I'm glad" said the girl impulsiye-
Iy, then blushed at her Dbldness.
Phyllis was more glad as weeks
passed that her room happened to be
next 10 Barrie MacDonald's. He had
way Of leaving little surprises out.
side her closed door that made her an
tlcfpate, ana feel less lonely. Com.
Ing from the unfamiliar city office at
evening, Il was cheering to find q well.
read bool; lying there for her perusal--
or a magazine maybe, or fresli-cut
flower In a waxen paper. And SOME
times there would be fruit, or later
us the frlendliness grew and the two
took pleasant walks toeether--ihere
would be small box Of candy before
her door Phyllis insisted upon the
''smallness" because she had learned
that Barrie was earning his profession
there In the strange city, and economy
was necessity. Once or twice she
took him out 10 Aunt Martha's In the
country for Sunday visits. and shreail
Aunt Martha agreed In her choice u
Barrie rs a friend. Barrie learned
much Of Phyllis during those visits. OF
her past sacrifices In caring for IN In.
valid parent, and how the brother who
should have helped had gone fur away
to seek his fortune. Barrie grew more
and more sure that Phyllis was the
one girl In the world for him. but
Barrie was not sure--of Phyllis.
She liked him. that was evident; hut
the liking was SO genuinely natural
that Barrie feared the feeling was far
from love. so he waited She had
confessed 10 him. laughingly. her fear
of the ereaking old house during the
lonely night.
Sounds" she told him, 'as II ghost.
ly steps were coming and going In tn,
halls"
So, sometimes to reassure her, Bar.
rie, waking. would tap gently on the
wall And reassured, smiling there
In the darkness, Phyllis would tap
back her response from the other side
Aud then one day she went away.
Barrie was stunned by the suddenness
of his loss. Phyllis no longer bright.
ened by her sweet presence the gloomy
walls; Phyllis, no more singing com
panionabIy about her adjoining room
1t was the brother who returned all
Unexpectedly with his won fortune
who had carried Phyllis away. The
brother, jeering at the shabby rear bed.
room, had carried her few belongings
down to his car, while Phyllis quickly,
ind more like fitting butterfly than
ever, kissed Barrie warmly and all un-
asked. and murmured that her spirit
would come back 10 the little room Ut
night, she knew, to answer his taps
on the wall. Barrie lay mlserably
that night. Later, he might hear from
her, perhaps, and later they might even
see each other occasionally--bu II
would not be the same. Phyllis would
no longer need him, call for him. DIS
tinctly from out the silence came
sharp summons. Barrie sat up and lis
tened. There were the three familiar
tapplngs of Phyllis upon the wall, the
usual waiting pause, then three more
Barrie half dressed and ran to the
door. His breathless call brought
no response. Mrs. Banby called to
him from the lower hall.
Say, I'm glad you're w, MacDon-
ald,n she said. There's been an au.
tomobile accident out on the boue-
ward; some ear ran into Phyllis Dale
and her brother. Mr.. Stearns, who
just came in, told me. The brother Is
raying at the hospital. he says; came
tearing on there alone with cut In
his head. He says Phyllis is lying
dead In ditch near the road. Some
men have gone out after her body. Its
terrible"
How Barrie got to the ditch by the
boulevard road he never knew. AID
he was there first. Instinct may have
carried him. while the brother In has
confusion gave wrong directions. The
grass was very soft and deep from
which Barrie lifted the girl, her face
shone CHASTITY In the moonlight. He
was holding her when the seekers
came upon him, and they allowed him
to keep her In his arms as they drove
back. Then Barrie gave a shout.
"Dead!" he cried. "Shes not dead.
To the hospital, quick
The soft grasses had saved her body
from injury the doctor said, 'and the