Magic 'Phone Voice

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 303, 23 December 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

Magic 'Phone Voice

SUDDENLY the sea swirled up and a great wave hit her in the face. The girl blinked and gasped, swallowing the salt spray. A wave swung her round so that she faced the shore. She could hear the crowds on the beach . . . yet they were a million miles away in another world. Green, glassy water dashed in her eyes. Another wave swept her on. The tide was running out. She began to swim, a crude dog paddle that quickly tired those little brown limbs. The shore was still going away; it was only slowly that She realised that. Her mind was dumb, her limbs were failing automatically. Then she lost her head. She screamed. Her scream was cut short by another wave. The waters closed over her head. There was a long, maddened struggle in a dark world of water, while the terror in her mind made every effort to struggle a nightmares gesture of futility. Just tpfore she lost consciousness something grabbed her. She fought desperately in its grip—and then she collapsed. The arm that held her slipped round her chin, brought her gently towards the shore. . . . When she woke she stared straight into the face of her rescuer. She had never seen him before, but she had dreamed about men like that. Tho handsomest face she had ever seen; perfect. She lay there, gasping for breath, just staring at him. Then he spoke. At the sound of his voice she jerked her head from the ground. Looked straight into his eyes. It seemed as if the roar of the sea was in her ears agaiH and she dropped back half fainting. She knew that voice. She had listened to it, waited for it, worshipped it for three years now. It was the voice she had fallen in love with. Now, by a million-to-one chancc, she had met its owner . . . and he was a3 beautiful as the voice. It was so close to her now. For three years she had heard it through an instrument. She had waited at the switchboard, putting through calls to a thousand ordinary people. Then someone would ask for his number, and she would switch them through, and hear that lovely voice answer. And until that afternoon she had only known him bv his number—l2,34s.

By Erben

He lifted her tenderly, ■when at htt she did smile back and felt well enough to move. He took her to his car and drove IHk home to her boarding house. He kissed 1 her hand, and promised to call in the morning. She was ready to receive him in tie. morning. She had dressed in the gayest of her holiday frocks. She spent an hour *1 and a half on her make-up. The ordeal of 1 the sea was forgotten ... she never felt ' or looked better. But he did not come. Nor did he call the next day, and the day after was Saturday, last of the holidays. She went back to town. Work at the switchboard was terrible. It dragged on monotonously. She thought of putting through a "wrong number" to 12,345, but she had a sudden terror that he might recognise her voice and then ... and then what? At last it happened. A woman asked for number 12,345. His voice answered, and she fe;t her limbs turn to water. Her hand trembled as she made connections <W the switchboard. She listened in shM6lessly— "Darling, I must tell you," saij tt voice. It sounded more alluring than <rer. "I've been quite a hero. Made a Ml* yellous rescue at sea, professional life-sar- - '"S stuff with the usual trimmings— "And she was a marvellous girl too. Simply a peach. I thought I would stake a hit there. In fact, was going to eaU <1 round and do the herojc. ... A lovely girl, "> I tell you. I fell for ner on the spot. . "Then why didn't you call oij her! After all, the gallant rescuer must be well received." Yes, but there was & snag. All the drowning must have been carefully staged. In fact, I think the whole thing was bait for a blackmail trap. "I'd never seen this girl before, but she must have been after me, because the first thing she murmured when she came to vu my telephone number . . . say, what's the matter ? Why are you crying ?" f "I'm not crying, darling. There nnilt be someone else on the line."