The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-02-11
SHORT SHORT
STORY
Complete in This issue

were not in concord with Emily's,
but she did not say so.
at does sound rather queer" she
admitted.
Billy was on a weeks business trip
in New York. Teddy Gould had
witnessed his departure. He had
witnessed also the following Incl
dent, which he had recounted to
Emily, jestingly: On the platform
that ran alongside the train, Billy
had encountered a beautiful blonde
who dropped her purse. He had
gallantly restored it to its owner
and had disappeared into the train
with her, both chatting pleasantly.
Maybe there had been only an ex-
change of courtesies, but one could
never tell.
A few days later Emily answered
the telephone.
"Hello," said a deep, agreeable
voice. 1t was Billy's.
Emily was dinly conscious of a
slight sense of pleasure in hearing
his voice again, although she
feigned a tone of Indifference.
Hello, William"
SIS that you, Emily? How are
you? Say, I saw the prettiest blonde
girl"
Click! Emily hung up the receiv-
er with bang. Things were just
as she had expected. Billy had
been completely captivated by the
blonde girl. He certainly had a
nerve to call her up and rave about
the beautiful blonde. AS for Billy,
he was dumbfounded at Emily's
treatment of him.
That afternoon while Peggy was
making a purchase in the general
store, Billy wandered in, looking
rather depressed.
Gould you tell me, Peggy" he
questioned, after a bit of CONVEX
sation, whats come over Emily?"
The faint smile glinted again in
Peggy's eyes. She reflected that al
though she was amused at Emily's
stupidity and Billy's ignorance of
what he had done, it would be most
insincere not to play the part of a
peacemaker when she could. So aft
er moments hesitation, she re-
piled:
"Emily's awfully peeved, Billy.
There are two causes, but your tele-
gram is the principal one" And
Peggy whirled out of the store, leav-
ing the questioner more perplexed
than ever.
Half an hour later, after having
paced the floor of his bedroom
thoughtfully, and after having writ
ten from memory the message he
had sent to Emily and read it
over several times the mists of
puzzlement lifted and Billy sud-
denly appreciated Emily's interpre-
tation.
''I'll be switched" he mumbled
to himself. 81 didn't mean that;
but, of course, she couldn't know"
Emily received with ill-concealed
eagerness the letter which the post
man handed her and tore it open
with nervous haste as soon as he
had turned from the door. Some
how, she experienced vague feel
ing that this letter contained an ex-
PLANTATION, and it did. The apology
was as follows:
emily, dear-Your interpreted
ton of my message was wrong.
You surely must have heard that
absence makes the heart grow
fonder.' Perhaps, the second rea-
son for your being peeved was the
blonde girl Il know Ted told you).
If so, it was a silly reason. l tried
to tell you over the telephone that
she was a professional pickpocket
and was arrested by a detective
shortly after leaving Boston. I'm
sorry, dear, that you should have
been angry for even little while.
Regretfully, Billy"
AS Emily finished reading, con-
flicting emotions of JOY and shame
took the place of doubt and anger.
Stupidity she said to herself,
and in a few minutes she was at
the telephone,
Hello, you billy goat"
Hello, you stupid little goose"
Don't you call on me again."
leased the playful voice. For l love
you most when / see you least" it
added.