The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-06-26
LOVER THE WIRES. !"


-f -
First, I must tell you who I am, and
how / came TO be in the Baysville Bank
in the '"wee sma' hours" one dreary
December night, some three years ago.
My name was then Olive Hudson, and
I was seventeen years old that same
December night, and 80 small that Mrs.
Knights Dolly, who was not twelve
years old, was half a head taller than
myself. "
We were rich folks once, but father
died and left US very poor. Mother
struggled along in a weary hand-to-hand
fight with poverty till I was sixteen,
and, then died. She had rented two
rooms of Mrs. Knight, widow, also, with
two stalwart sons, an aged father, and
two daughters After mother died I
was adopted by the Knights, and, al
though I was earning Q support as music
teacher in the Baysville Academy, /
was like one of the family when I was
in my good landlady's home. n'
They were all in good positions, but
by no ean an aristocratic family.
John, the eldest son, vas in New York
n a wholesale sugar house ; Tom was
the night watchman Of the Baysville
Bank building, and grandpa-we all
call him grandpa-was telegraph ope-
rator of the town, while Mary was a
milliner, and Dolly stayed at the Office,
sending and receiving messages.
Baysylle Bank building was a large
granite structure, containing the post
Office and the bank on the first floor,
the telegraph Office and a number of
private Law Offices on ~the'second floor,
and other private Offices on the third
floor. In the basement were post-ofice
rooms for sorting the mail, and also the
large bank vault.
knew the building well, for 7 was
fond of telegraphing, andspent half my
leisure time perched up beside grandpa,
while he slept peacefully or read the
newspapers.
And that was the beginning Of my
amusement at Dryden, the next station.
The operator at Dryden was,a wit, and
flashed nonsense ct our Office whenbusi-
ness .was5dun. 1t fell fiat when grandpa
was in the Office, but if I were there I
sent back jest for jest, and sometimes an
hour slipped by Like q minute as we
talked over the wires of every topic IN
der the sum-. He called himself "Lion,"
aud I, for nonsense, signed myself
elephant" laughing as I did so at the
reflection of my tiny fingers in the Office
mirror. ,... -.r
Beyond Dryden, and only five miles
from Baysville, was c., a large CON-
mercial town, the nearest railway station,
and where an Office wa always open for
the accommodation of travellers.
AS ! have said, Tom Knight was the
night Waterman of Baysville Bank
building, and a lonely time he had of it.
The last mail came by stage at four O.
clock in. the afternoon, and the post
ofices.was vacated at six. The bank
closed at three, and by'six o'clock every
Office was deserted for the night.
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 the house.
On the December night T have already
mentioned, it had stormed heavily all
day, and I had taken q new class at the
Academy, coming home later in the day
than usual, and excited over my increase
in salary.
Everybody else had gone to bed, and
/ was lingering v e the kitchen fire
with Mrs. Knight, dreading the plunge
into my cold room, where I had allowed
the fire to 60 out.
The clock str u OK twelve, and rs
Knight, lifting her face from over the
fire, said:
"Do call grandpa, Olive; he's asleep
on the sofa in the sitting-room. I'll
have Toms basket ready by the time
grandpa has his hat and coat on. Ihate
to call him, for he was complaining of
rheumatism all day, and the ground is
very wet, although the storm is over"
"Let him Sleep" I said; "I1l run
over with the basket. 1t is but a
,
"But it is 50 dark; Ire you not
afraid ?" re .
"Not a bit; I'll slip on my waterproof.
and rubbers, and draw the hood of my
cloak over my head"
"Well, if syou viii, though I am
Tom will scold at-my letting you
co." -.
. "Ill put down the basket and run,
and hewilf never know who left it."
$50 into the rear basement door; he
leaves that open3for grandpa"
eel know"
I erasped; the. handle of the basket,
and hurried across the space between
the building and the house, and stole
softly in at the basement door, in pur-
suanoe of my plan to drop the basket
and run. --
In my rubber shoes my steps were
noiseless, and I had scarcely passed the
Threshold when I stood rooted to the
floor in terrible am9zement. ~ '1a+A
Somebody WIS talking. , . 60
I crept forward aud listened. There
a msu in the vault, and q light
shone nnder the door.
While listened, some one said:
"There il a confounded draft here;
lid YOU shut the door, Smith,"
eyes. but the wind might have blown
Il OPEN"
I had Just time to dart under the stair.
vase and crouch down, when the door OF
he vault opened and man came out.
He crossed the entry, drew two
heavy, noiky bolts, fastened the door by
which I had entered, and returned
closing the vault door:
I could look In by the dim Light and
zee two men working at the safe locks