Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-26
CHAPTER XXXNIL
4 Call In the NIGHT

CaIl IN the Night
TT SEEMED to Gloria that she had been
| asleep for hours She had had a firing
day, more firing than usual for she had re-
ported at the studio shortly after 6, so that
Manning could take some early morning shots.
After that she had spent two hours with her
lawyer, going over the techncalities of her
divorce and in the afternoon there had been
more work.
Struggling up from a sleep so heavy that it
seemed drugged she became conscious of the
fact that the telephone was ringing. For a
moment she lay still Her tired body refused
to bestir itself; it seemed as If she ached in
every bone, and the thought of walking into
the next room seemed physical impossibility.
ut will stop in moment" she thought,
droWsily. But it did not stop. 1t went on
ringing imperativey, until, with a sharp ex-
clamation, Gloria threw back the bedcothes
and stumbled into her sitting room.
Tomorrow III have the telephone. changed p"
ran her thoughts at stupid of me to
have it put in here so that Alice could answer
it."
Then she was taking the receiver off the
hook, and her voice, thick with sleep, v%as
saying Hello"
Mrs. Templeton?" woman was speaking
a woman with crisp, businesslike enuncia-
ton. Still half-awake, Gloria wondered at the
use Of her marriage name No one ever called
her Mrs. Templeton. She was known every
where as Miss King, and to be labeled with
Rolls name suddenly struck her as incon-
gruous.
"Ths is Gloria King" she answered, shortly,
''Who is talking?"
II Miss MITCHELL speaking from Mr.
Templeton's"
weir Gloria's tone not encoura cling:
In fact, it was decidedly sharp. Surely it was
not in the order of things that some strange
woman should call her up in the middle of the
night from Rolls place. 1t must be joke
and Gloria was not in the mood for Jokes at
that moment
Mr.. TemLleton is very i'll. T am one of
the nurses" Into the strange voice had crept
a sharpness equal to Gloria's own She was
apparently, not at all in awe of Miss King
the newest Hollywood lumnary. She was an
emlssary of life and death, to whom Gloria's
popularity meant nothing
Yes" Gloria's tone was still uncompro
missing. Il am sorry to hear that Mr., Tenn
pleton is i'll. l hadn't heard What is the
matter?"
In Gloria's sitting room at the bungalow
she and V1yyan sat and sewed through the
long afternoons when they were not workins
at the studios. Yards of CAV materials
beloved around them, bright-striped gine.
hams, pastel-hued organizes, fine white
lawns and dainty lace
maven I had so much FUN In ages" WV
| yam said once, looking up from her work
Think of having fun over a thing like
this, making children's dresses, and runnins
a machine"
We think it may be pneumonia" The
nurses tone held a tone of grave porten
tousness. ''1t began with a cold, but hi:
| fever has been steadily mounting [ an
on duty tonight and I called up the doctor
a short while ago. He is here now, anc
would like to talk with you, if you will come
! over"
Gloria hesitated. Perhaps she ought tc
| go, and yet what possible good would it do
| ROLF had every possible attention; it WASH
as though she could do anything for him
And then, besides, there was the chance
! that she might jeopardize her freedom. How
would it look if it became known that sht
! was playing the devoted wife? oh! no: i
simply wouldn't do. She couldn't let herseI
! be drawn back into the net of circumstance
! now. 1t wasn't fair to expect such thins
| of her-it wasn't fair!
I'm afraid it would be impossible for m,
to come over now" Glorias voice was even
! the last trace of sleepiness gone from it
| perhaps the doctor would like to speak tt
| me over the telephone. VIII you tell him
! please? III wait"
Something resembling a gasp came from
the other end, and then silence. Gloria pre-
sumed that the nurse had gone to call thu
! doctor, and she waited, with the wire sing
| ing in her ear, for what seemed an uncon
| scionably long time. Where on earth wa
the doctor-why didn't he come? At las
| there came the sound of some one takins
| up the receiver at the other end and then
mans voice speaking. His greeting was thu
same as the nurses had been.
| Mrs Templeton?"