A Separate Peace.pdf - Southwest High School

45will never be swayed by all the favorable evidence he has. It was a schoolboy look; Mr.Ludsbury knew it well."There's a long-distance call for you," he continued in the tone of the judge performing thedisagreeable duty of telling the defendant his right. "I've written the operator's number on thepad beside the telephone in my study. You may go in and call.""Thank you very much, sir."He sailed on down the lane without further reference to me, and I wondered who was sick athome.But when I reached his study—low-ceilinged, gloomy with books, black leather chairs, apipe rack, frayed brown rug, a room which students rarely entered except for a reprimand—Isaw on the pad not an operator's number from my home town, but one which seemed tointerrupt the beating of my heart.I called this operator, and listened in wonder while she went through her routine as thoughthis were just any long-distance call, and then her voice left the line and it was pre-empted, andcharged, by the voice of Phineas. "Happy first day of the new academic year!""Thanks, thanks a lot, it's a—you sound—I'm glad to hear your—""Stop stuttering, I'm paying for this. Who're you rooming with?""Nobody. They didn't put anyone else in the room.""Saving my place for me! Good old Devon. But anyway, you wouldn't have let them putanyone else in there, would you?" Friendliness, simple outgoing affection, that was all I couldhear in his voice."No, of course not.""I didn't think you would. Roommates are roommates. Even if they do have an occasionalfight. God you were crazy when you were here.""I guess I was. I guess I must have been.""Completely over the falls. I wanted to be sure you'd recovered. That's why I called up. Iknew that if you'd let them put anybody else in the room in my place then you really werecrazy. But you didn't, I knew you wouldn't. Well, I did have just a trace of doubt that wasbecause you talked so crazy here. I have to admit I had just a second when I wondered. I'msorry about that, Gene. Naturally I was completely wrong. You didn't let them put anyone elsein my spot.""No, I didn't let them.""I could shoot myself for thinking you might. I really knew you wouldn't."