The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-08-30

gained the stairs. Up 1 darted. bless
ing my india-rubber shoes, till gain
ed the door of the telegraph Office. All
dark there, and l dared not strike a
match.
listened, and then leaving the door
open, groped my way to the desk,
and gave the signal at c.. l could
hear my heart throbs as waited for an
answer. 1t came! Still working in
the dark, 1 sent this message:
Burglars i'm the Baysville vault!
Watchman gagged and bound! Can
you send help?"
Again the agony of suspense in lis
tening, but at last the sound reached
me:
'Will send help immediately
| crept to the head of the staircase
afraid the clear ring of the instrument
had been heardin thevault; but no one
came up stairs. The window of the
telegraph Office faced the street, so
returned, bolted myself in safely, and
sat down to watch.
The town clock gave one resonant
stroke, breaking the deep silence, and
no signs of life were visible on the long
stretch of road leading to c.. /
was numb with the cold, heartily
wishing that had not left Toms bas-
ket under the staircase, thinking re-
gretfully of my own cozy bed, when
heard, afar off, the sound of horses
feet.
No sister Anne, in Blue Boards tow
er, was ever more watchful than was
then. Would the burglars take the
alarmo
The building made a corner of two
streets, and | saw eight mounted men
dash up the road, separate, and while
four dismounted in front, four went
to the rear.
The burglars were unprepared for
this flank movement, for while the
police in front were laundering at the
main entrance. the robbers pushed to
the rear basement door, right into the
arms of the police stationed there.
l could hear the hubbub, pistol shots
fired, the scuffie Of feet, cries, oaths,
and general confusion, and l slipped
down stairs, out of the now deserted
main entrance, and home.
Everybody was abed, and I went to
my own room, had good cryingsp
and comforted rly half frozen body in
double blankets where | soon fell
asleep.
All this was on Friday night, and /
had no teaching to do until Monday,
so ! slept late; but coming down found
all the family prepared to make he
roine Of me.
II never knew till mother told me
this morning, that 1t wasn't grandpa
who sent the message to c., BY
jove, Olive, you're spunky, you are
little. gave up when four Of them
pounced on me from one of the upper
rooms. They must have got in through
the day and hid there"
/ tried to make the knights prom
ise not to tell my adventure, but could
not. Before night all Baysvillc knew
how Olive Hudson had caught the
burglars. l was in the office with
grandpa, when over the wires came
the message:
What does Olive III hudson look like?
Everybody in Dryden is talking of her
great exploit"
flashed back:
What do you suppose such wom-
an would look like? She is nearly six
feet, broad shouldered and loud voiced,
a perfect elephant"
WAS 1t really yourself, Elephant?'
Dear Lion, it really was!"
do you know l want to see you. I
am going to New York to-day, but I'll
be back next spring.
If he came to Baysville he did not
see me. | ran away in q fit of shyness.
In March wonderful thing hap
pened My mothers brother, who had
been seventeen years, nearly all my
life time, in Cuba, came home to New
York, found me out and took me into
a life of ease and luxury, making me
his pet in his splendid house. He was
a bachelor, over fifty years of age,
handsome and well informed, and
with large wealth.
He introduced ME to old friends of
his own, and my circle Of acquaint-
ances widened every day. l was en-
tirely happy, for we loved each other
well.
One day Uncle George brought home
a stranger, whom he introduced tome
as:
''The son of an old friend, Olive,
Mr.. Roberts,"
l made myself agreeable, as in duty
bound, to Mr.. Roberts, a man of thir-
ty or thereabouts, with face that was
downright ugly, but pleasant from the
of frank good humor and
intelligence upon it. We talked of
everything, and l was surprised at the
Of taste we soon discover
ed. In an animated discussion Of he
roines, Mr.. Roberts, turning to Uncle
George, said:
"You were kindly enquiring about
my fortune since father died, but did
not tell you one little episode. Before
/ was fortunate enough to obtain my
present lucrative situation, l was for
a time telegraph operator in small
place called Dryden, and then heard
of a real heroine, of whom the world
will probably never hear"
! knew what was coming, but kept
my face perfectly composed to listen.
When the story was finished, giving
Uncle George sly pinch to keep qui-
ct, l said:
What kind of a looking person was
hat wonderful heroine?'