The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1921-07-21
A PHONE SLEUTH.
sy ALICE MuNoRucu.

i wish | were a dectect,ve. s,,,s
any as she laid the magazine she had
oeen reading on the table. There's =
"ohder1ul story about a woman sleuth
VINO discovered plot to rob a bank
ana trapped the bandits. But such q
career Is not for me. I've got to Keen
on answering calls in that sleenv ola
e1cnange' and plugging In for LOT of
gOssips."
Oh, you never can TELL" drawled her
orotner, Joe. as he settled back I'm the
rocker his sister had vacated. aYou
may yet become q .SteaIthy Steve, or
sherlock Holiness Your jobs Just the
p'ace Tor leaks Listen in and Won
may discover a conspiracy Of the Reds
Or the hiding place Of some real booze.
Oh, have discovered something al
ready" he called after her. "oniy I'm
NOT going to tell. I'll let George do 1t.
Ihatli please you better"
Amy slammed the door aud pretended
sne did not hear this last remark. Some
times Joe's references to George "got
on her nerves." as she expressed 1t.
AS Amy walked towards the tele-
phone office to resume her duties at
.ne switchboard she suddenly realized
that young Campbell had not visited
them so frequently of late. Immedi-
ateiy she apologized for him to her
self. pleading the necessity of study
ing Tor the midyear examinations as
excuse.
Late the next afternoon there came
u call for Georges number. AS she
MADE the connections Amy realized
that her heart was beating fiercely.
But what was she hearing? The
speaker was young attorney who
mad recently settled In the town,
Say. George. what are you going to
90 about the wife and child?"
Have reconciliation, l suppose,
she heard Georges voice replying.
But how to bring 1t about stumps
me-"
yes, that's the only decent thing to
90. I'll try and think up some arrange
ment by tomorrow. Call you I'D then.
I've got client coming In now; at
ieast, hope he's client So long"
He rang off, and Amy sank back
weakly in her chair. George married
A wife and childl 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 are over. had to, cram like
time, and at that I'll bet | iunked
In that old theory of ethics"
perhaps you fiunked In the practise
of ethics, also" bitterly remarked the
girl
Meaning whatT
Your wife and child, with whom
you are seeking a reconciliation"
Wife and chlld-reconclliatiO
What are you talking about?"
simply telling you what | have
found out while you have been pre-
tending to all of us that you were
single"
"Why. so | am. Whoever's been tell
ing you such scandalous lies-?"
"Nobody's been telling me. l heard
You acknowledge 1t 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
uproariously 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 / 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 a novel John
and l are writing together.
"You know people wonder how John
manages 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 q 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. l ought to have
known better. but Joe had been teas
ing be about becoming a detective by
listening in and guess that made
me excited and suspicious and ready
TO jump at conclusions. Can you ever
forgive me2"
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-
yersation to bring about the reconcil-
iation In our story.
81 tell you," he cried enthusiastical-
iy, catching both her hands In his,
that book is going to be the best
seller of the year now that 1t has three
collaborators, instead OF two"
Amy blushed. Was 1t at his praise or
for some other reason? She did not
withdraw her hands,
Presently his arms encircled her and
ne bent down and looked into her