The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1875-04-22

heart beat violently, but from mere
force Of habit, | arose and asked him
TO be seated. While he turned to
comply ! succeed in conquoring my
agitation TO some extent. Ho drew
a chair noisily forward, and sitting
down threw open his coat, displaying
10y 50 doing n heavy navy revolver
stuck in his belt. Then he freed his
mouth of a quantity of tobacco juice,
and spoke
Young fellcr.' said he mo,ioning
with his hoad towards the battery.
''thct thar mccheon il what yer call a
tellygram. /, s'poso ?
"Well, 1 answered, with faint
smilc, intended to be conciliatory.
that's what we send kilograms by. "
"Wal, | want TO send II message to
n friau1 q mine out in Cchoe. tell
yer aforchanl | hant got no collat
eral. But | kinder guess you'd bet
ter trust mo, young fellcr." (Ilcro
he laid his hand significantly on his
belO. "l'll fetch it in ter morrow of
: it's convenient
! ! hastcned to say that the charge
could just as we'll bo paid at the
other end by his friend.
"Umph Plnsucy little you'll got
o Jim, | reckon. Howsumdoyer,
lporceed.
What is the message, and TO whom
is it to 30 :"
81 want you to tell Jim Fcllors. of
Cohoo that the bull quit her las
night. aud thcr shcopll DO close on
his heels
As ho delivered this sentence he
looked AT me as If he expected me 10
be mystlhcd But ] Thought il best
mot 10 appear 80, and soid carlessly (:
Il suppose you are 70 dealer in
stock and this is your partner Al,
sir, the telegraph helps YOU follows
out of many a shayp bargain.
"Naas, he answered. slowly oyi-
IDENTIFY pleased with tho wny took it.
"Na.us, that's UNI I'M scndiu' down
II lot % stock. Bought it dog cheap
over in Gencsec, Yesterday. Purity
lot rs ever you SEQ
| turned to my instrument. What
was to be done Though ours WIS
II railroad Office. we often sent husi-
ness messages; and ifI did rs usual I
should probably get rid Of my un-
welcome visitor without further
trouble. But in the short convcrsa.
ton with him / had somewhat re-
covered from my first alarm and /
now conceived tho idea Of attcmpiino
the 'npiiwo 1rP5Or ialarled operator
t"yi.4S 30 oU,o ,uVlgn money 10 mar.
~ in the spring. Five hundred
dollars would do me II great deal of
good just now-tO say nothing OF the
ccid of thing. But how was it to be
accomplished Here l was alone in
the depot with man big enough to
whip his weight in such little men IA
was several times over. Any at.
tempt to secure him single handed
was not thought Of. But could ! not
excuse myself, and going ont fasten
him in p No; for well knew from
the distrustlul look in his iaco that
any proposal Of mine to leave the
room would bo pcremptorily object
od to by him. What then
Why, simply this, Iwould telegraph
to the down town station, But alas
That very day the connection be-
tween the two offices had been cut
for repairs. 1t was seldom used at
any time Of course. But what Of
that! 1t was only n question Of u
few seconds more time.
All these thoughts went through
my mind with the rapidity of light
ming M went to the battery Lynch
regarded me from the corner of his
uncovered eye with II 4. suspicion that
made inc shake in my shoes AS l
sat down he arose and came to my
side.
"LC here, young foller,' he
Kissed III my ear, aud his breath was
sickening with the fumes of liquor,
"perhaps you mean fair enough
hope ye do, for yer own sake. But !
don't understan nothin bout them
tellygrams, and jist tell ye that
we'd bottar be squar'-for by the
Eternal God ! ef you go back on mo,
IN stretch you on this ycre floor ae
stiff as ever l did man yit y and
felt the cold muzzle of his revolver
on my check. Perhaps my voice
trembled little, but l was still un'
moved in my resolution, as ! replied
Never fear, sir; III tell him al
about the stock" He muttered
something to himself, and still re
manned standing over mo.
+ You have heard no doubt how
much character and expression t
telegraph operator can put into bis
touch. Why, there were dozens OF
different operators communicating
with our Office, and l could tell n
the instant, without ever making {
mistake, who it was signalling. Yol
could tell II u man VAS nervous fron
his telegraphing just as well rs yol
could from his hand writing. Th'
call that / sont hurrying across th'
, State to Council Rufus, must hay'
ruug out upon tho cars Of the opera
| tor like shrek.
y sc. b. Are you there p wa
D what | asked, and almost Instant,
e came back a reply in the affirmative
/ Then with trembling hand | rat
} tied OFF my message ''Eor the Low