at you, Mr. Selmer?" The man did not forget his
hoarseness. He even coughed discreetly.

"Why, _no_! This is Venus speaking. May I ask if you expected Miss Selmer
to call you up?" Raised eyebrows would harmonize perfectly with that
tone, which was sugary, icily gracious.

"Oh--er--hello! That you, Miss Selmer? Beg your pardon--my mistake.
Er--ah--how are yuh this evenin'?"

"Oh--lonesome." A sigh seemed to waft over the wire. "You see, I have
quarreled with Mars again. He _would_ drink out of your big dipper in
spite of me! I knew you wouldn't like that--"

"Oh--why no, of course not!" The hoarseness broke slightly, here and
there. A worried tone was faintly manifesting itself.

"And I was wondering when you are coming to take me for another ride!"

"Why--ah--just as soon as I can, Miss Venus. You know my time ain't my
own--but maybe Sunday I could git off."

"How nice! What a bad cold you have! How did you catch, it?" Sweetly
solicitous now, that voice.

"Why, I dunno--"

"Was it from going without your coat when we were riding last time?"

"I--yes, I guess it was; but that don't matter. I'd be willing to ketch a
dozen colds riding with you. It don't matter at all."

"Oh, but it does! It matters a great deal--Dearie! Did you really think I
was that nasty Mary V Selmer calling you up?"

"Why, no, I--I was just talking to her father--but as soon as I--I was
thinking maybe the old man had forgot something, and had her--uh course
I knowed your voice right away--sweetheart." That was very daring. The
man's forehead was all beaded with perspiration by this time, and it was
not the heat that caused it. "You know I wouldn't talk to her if I didn't
have to." It is very difficult to speak in honeyed accents that would
still carry a bullfrog hoarseness, but the man tried it, nevertheless.

"Dearie! Honest?"

"You know it!" He was bolder now that he knew endearing terms were
accepted as a matter of course.

"OO-oo! I believe you're fibbing. You kept calling me _Miss_ Venus just
as if--you--liked somebody else better. Just for that, I'm not going
to talk another minute. And you needn't call up, either--for I shall not
answer!"

She hung up the receiver, and the man, once he was sure of it, did
likewise. He wiped his forehead, damned all women impartially as a
thus-and-so nuisance that would queer a man's game every time if he
wasn't sharp enough to meet their plays, and went outside. He still felt
very well sati