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Show day without finding out what had happened to her mother. From the top of the staircase on the second floor of the Residence, she could barely see the mail box down at the other end of the hall if she squinted. After racing up the stairs, two at a time, she stopped to catch her breath at the top, then she peered down the hall at the upper left hand corner of the box. It was empty again. That does it, she thought. I don't care how much it costs, I'm going to call home. She wasn't sure how she was going to pay for it. She didn't have enough quarters and dimes in her purse and even if she did, it would take her forever to drop them in the little slots. Mimi called home a lot. How'd she do it. As Kim thought about it, she seemed to remember Mimi saying she charged it. Maybe I could try that, thought Kim. I could charge it to my mom. She'd probably have a fit, but there was no other way. And when Mom finds out how worried I am about her, she'll forgive me. Hesitantly, Kim stepped into the green phone booth. She dug into her pocket for a dime and dropped into the middle slot in the telephone, then dialed the "0". "I'd like to call Gridley Falls, Idaho," she said when the operator answered. "Please deposit one dollar and seventy five cents for the first three minutes," said the operator. "I-I'd like to charge it," said Kim. "Your name?" 126 |