Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 130, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1920 — EYES AND VOICE [ARTICLE]

EYES AND VOICE

By R. RAY BAKER

<©, I*2o. by McClure Newspaper Syndicate.} Roscoe Bates was one of the points of the queerest love triangle on record. At }east Roscoe had never heard of its equal. He was in love with two young women. Nothing remarkable about that, you will say; It’s more often that .way than not. There’s no disputing that. The fact that lie was in love with two girls—or thought he was—was not the remarkable thing about Roscoe’s romance. Here’s the thing about it: One of the girls Roscoe had never seen and the other he had never heard speak; and he could not tell which of the two was the more desirable. As for that, though, it looked hopeless for him in either case. Roscoe was better acquainted with "Voice” than with “Eyes.” In facts he did not know Eyes at all. Voice, of course, was the one he talked with over the phone, and Eyes was the one that worked sh the same building with him. He had tried in various ways to meet her, but unfortunately the girl was employed In an office entirely separate from .the one in which he had a desk, and he had not been able to find one among his fellow workers who knew any of the girl’s associates. Eyes had smiled at him when he met her on the stairway for the first time some ten months ago; and subsewhen he met her, which was frequently, she had greeted him the same way. But it was just a friendly, comradely smile —-not the Invita-tion-to-a-fllrtatlon kind—and he was gratified it was that way. Roscoe had liked, the girl from the start, and during the months he saw her come and go from the building he became convinced that he loved her —or would love her if he had half a chance. However, he was quite the opposite of forwardness —not exactly timid or bashful, but rather reserved, you might say. Roscoe’s acquaintanceship with Voice started a year back. It was a case of “wrong number.” The girl was calling up a newspaper office to get the baseball scores —for it developed she was a “fan” —and had become connected with Roscoe’s desk instead. He was a “fan” himself, and -had the scores at his tongue’s end, so he furnished her with the desired information.

Then he took one of the boldest steps of his life. He told her he would give her the scores every day if she would call him up; in fact, he offered to call her, but she refused to give her number. She accepted his Invitation, and soon they became quite friendly id their telephone associations, which at first dealt mainly with baseball ■“dope,” but later widened their scope to other subjects, although never descending to the plane commonly known as “kidding.” Roscoe fell In love with the voice, not in a silly way, but seriously. He was a sentimental youth and the novelty of the situation!appealed to him. Still, he was handicapped by his reserve and could not muster the courage, or whatever the missing ingredient might be, to ask the girl’s name or seek to meet her. Thus matters stood when two months later he began meeting Eyes; and he went up in the air, so to speak. —Eyes’ eyes were as beautiful to look upon as Voice’s voice was to hear, and he felt that either of the girls would fit In with his ideas of the Ideal. Roscoe was not a particularly handsome young man ; still, he had his attractive features, one of which was his Immaculate appearance, while his features were clean-cut, and he had a couple of dimples' that stamped him as having a genial disposition. Yes, it; was entirely possible for a. girl to get in Jove with Roscoe at first sight, although he did not flatter himself on that score and did not suppose that Eyes gave him more than a passing thought As to Roscoe’s voice, it had. tones that were pleasing enough ; at least there was no harshness connected with his speech. He realized, however, that It possessed no enticing qualities, and he labored under no delusions that Voice had fallen in love with him or was more Interested than □ne enthusiastic baseball fan might ne Interested in another. About the time Roscoe had decided ne cared the most for Eyes, possibly -oecause she was more tangible than Voice, and perhaps because -of his fear that Voice might be quite the opposite of beautiful to look upon, and maybe because Eyes seemed the more 21usive, one of his fellow wooers eame to him with this discouraging • Inf ormat^n: ~ “I found out who that girl in the red coat is. Her name’s Pearl Dixson and she’s in Dearborn’s office upstairs. But you haven’t a-chance, Ros.. She’s already in love with a fellow, t met her chum, last night, and she told me so.” • Roscoe was disheartened, but brightened up when he learned that the next afternoon was to be a half holiday and he would have his first opportunity of the season to witness a baseball game. Roscoe owned a small roadster which had not the cranking Stage, and in this he motored to the ball grounds. The game was so that he forgot about his love

affairs, and after Ra termination fee lingered to discuss with an umpire with whom he was acquainted, a technical point on a ruling that had arisen during the diamond conflict When Roscoe left the grounds the crowds had vanished, all except a girt In a red coat who stood outside the gate looking abou,t as though In search of some one. She was Eyes, and she smiled with them when she saw Roscoe. Roscoe’s heart beat violently as he approached her, amazed at his own temerity, lifted his hat and inquired: “Can I be of service?” “I don’t know,” she replied. *Tm looking for my aunt. We got separated In the crowd and I’m afraid she’s taken the trolley car thinking I also was on It and there isn’t another car for half an hour.” . Roscoe stepped into the breach. “I’ll be glad to escort you home in my—my alleged automobile.” “I’ll be equally glad to ride In it I assure you,” she told him sweetly. Soon they were buzzing along the road—not too fast, for Roscoe wanted to prolong the trip, especially after he discovered there was no ring on the third finger of her left hand. “Wasn’t It a glorious game!” she exclaimed, starting slightly as Roscoe narrowly missed hitting another car, due to the fact that he was looking into Eyes’ eyes. They discussed the game in detail. “Do you know,” she observed, as they whisked Into the residential district, heading for an address she furnished, “you remind me a lot of a friend of mine — another baseball fan?” . ' Roscoe’s heart sank. “That must be the fellow she’s In love with," he thought. “He talks just like you, using the same Idioms, and has the same favorite players,” she went-on. This gave Roscoe a new lease on hope. If she loved this other man, and the other man was like him, he felt that he had some chance of beating him in a matrimonial duel. “You should meet him,” Eyes continued. “The next is where I live, please. Yes, you should meqt him, but I could never bring it about." “And why not?” he inquired; slowing down. “Because I never met him myself. Probably you’ll think Pm a foolish little girl; but for a year I’ve been in love with a man I’ve never, seen. He gives me the baseball scores over the telephone every day, and—but, of course, it’s all useless, Fil never meet him.” The roadster came to a stop in front of her home with such violence that their heads,struck the top. “Thank you so much,” she said, as he helped her out. “Maybe I can do something for you some day.” Roscoe gulped and groped for words, finally managing to say: “You can do something right now, Let me come up and see you. tonight, and I’ll bring this telephone man of yours along, I’m well acquainted with him.” And Eyes’ eyes smiled at him and answered in advance of her lips.