Old Sudden knew he couldn't be far away, and would ring until he did answer.

He unfastened the door again, cursing to himself and wondering if the Rolling R people were in the habit of calling Johnny Jewel every ten minutes or so.

He stumbled over a box that he had missed before, swore, and called a gruff hello.
"Oh, hello, cowboy!" Unmistakably feminine, that voice; unmistakably provocative, too--subdued, demure, on guard, as though it were ready to adopt any one of several tones when it spoke again.
"Oh--er--hello! That 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.