Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-12-01
! s.OvER THE wIREs.s
BY s. ANNIE FROST.

First. / mtst tell you who am, and
how I came to be in the Baysville bank
in the .swee s,na' hours" one dreary De-
cember night, some three years ago.
NV name then Is Olive Hudson, and /
was IL years old that same December
night, aud so very small that Mrs.
knights Dolly, who was not IL, was half
a head caller. thln myself.
We we're rich folks once, but father
died and lett us very poor. Mother
struggled along In a weary hand-to-hantl
light with poverty until l was IL, and
died. She had rented two rooms of Mrs.
knight, widow also. with two stalwart
sons, an aged father, and two daughters.
AFTER mother died Hwas adopted by the
Knights, and although / was earning a
support rs music teacher in the Bays
vile academy, was like one OF the fam
ily,-Shsa. WAS in my good landlady's
iTh<y xers all In good positions, al
though by no means an aristocratic fam
lily. John, the eldest son, was in New
York i'm q wholesale sugar house; Tom
was the nightwatchmaii of the Baysville
bank building, and grandpa--we all call
Ell him grandpa-was telegraph operator
of'the town, while Mary was a milliner,
and Dolly still at school.
Baysville bank building was large
granite structure, containing the postof-
flee and bank on the first floor, the tel
egraph office and number of private
law offices OH the second floor, and other
private Offices ON the third floor In the
basement were postofIice rooms for sort
ing the mail, and also the large bank
vaults.
knew the building well, for was
fond of telegraphing, and spent half my
leisure time perched up beside grandpa
I'm his Office, sending and receiving MT s.
sages, while he slept peacefully or read
the newspapers. PrS AZ rff
And that was the beginning of my
amusement at Dryden. the next station.
The operator ut Dryden was wit. and
flashed nonsense to our office when bust
dess GSs dull. 1t fell fiat when grandpa
was I'm the office, but If were there, 1
sent back jest for jest, and sometimes an
hour slipped by Ikea minute as we talk
ED over the wires Of every topic under
the sun. He called himself Lion" and
], for nonsense. signed myself elephant"
laughing while l did so at the reflection
of my tiny figure in the Office window.
Beyond Dryden, and only five miles
mercial town, The nearest railway sta
ton, and where an office was always
open for the accommodation of travel
erS.
AS haye said, Tom Knight was the
night watchman of Baysyille bank build
ing, and lonely time he had of it. The
last mail came by:stage at four o'clock
In the afternoon, and the pOstOffice was
vacated Mt six. The bank closed ut three,
and by six every office was deserted for
the night. - sss. 80
AT seven Tom was on duty, and grand
pa. who was restless at night, was in the
habit Of taking down some coffee and
luncheon, as The building was only a
stones throw from our house.
On the December night have already
mentioned. It had stOrmed heavily all
day, and hal taken new class at the
academy, coming home later in the day
than usual, and excited over my increase
Of salary.
Everybody else had gone to bel, and 1
was lingering over the kitchen fire with
Mrs. knight, drcading the plunge into
my cold room, where had allowed the
fire to go out.
The clock struck twelve, and Mrs.
Knight, lifting her face from over the
IRE, saiu
"Do call grandpa, Oiive; he's asleep
on tnc SOFA IN the sitting room. I'll have.
ION basket ready by the time grandpa
nss ms nat anu coat ON. nate 10 call
MN, ior ne was complaining OF rheuma-
tlsm to-uay' aad the ground Is very wet,
aitnougn the storm Is over. 81
.-,.I MN sleep, salu III run over
VIII ..ie oasket. II IS not a step.
afr:,ld I" ,.,a,.sss q &. q
Not ols' III sip On my wa.erprooi
anu LuooefS, anu IRA" the noou VI the
c'o%1 I've! my neau:
ven, you Will Inougn am
alIy,u Aoln VIZ scotu as my ieIti'g you
CO..
Ill put the basket on the table and
.un' anu nc Will never KNOW VINO lett
=, W NV ZIG re1I uaseneis uoor' ne
leaves tnat open ior graudpa.
E Nnowa
.,slSspeu .te i'anu'G vi Ine Daske., nur-
aleo across Tue space between tne oul1u-
.nS anurue nvuse, anu stole soitly In at
TIC ut,se siue .t uovi, IA pulsuance vi my
pan ~ u'U ,.,, LIZ nIsAe. anu iun.
..,nI,y iuo1et suVes NY Steps were
molse,ess anu Iau scSrceiy passeu tne
s snUs WE wnei s.oou aoo'eo 70 the
nyol !" seo Leu s su,,.;ss fs
omeuoSy vas '~, NIL ;;...a r
-. clep. ivaw .s anu as.e.'eu IneIe
we're lnen IA .ne SanA saui'' anu iigh1
sA Wn,' n" : I;st snS J snme ono s,;a.
Y,,d nere cvniyun u 9Ias y; mere
80 snus Tug uo9ri omun II ;.
ono, ou' 'ne VIM may nave Diow WI IL