Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-07-08
Over the Wires.


My name, then, is Olive Hudson, and
| was seventeen years old that same De-
cember night, and SO very small, that
Mrs. Knights Dolly, who was twelve,
was half head taller than myself.
We were rich folks once, but father
died and left us very poor. Mother
struggled along in weary hand to hand
fight with poverty till was sixteen, 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, I was adopted by the
Knights, aud although l was earning
support as music teacher in the Bays
vile Academy, l was like one of the
family, when I was in my good landla-
dy's home.
They were all.in good positions, al
though by no means an aristocratic fam
lily. John, the eldest son, was in New
York in wholesale sugar house; Tom
was the night watchman of the Baysville
Bank building, and grandpa-we all
called him grandpa-was telegraph op-
orator of the town, while Mary was
milliner, and Dolly still at school.
Baysville Bank building was large
granite structure, containing the post
Office and bank on the first floor, the
telegraph Office and number of private
law offices on the second floor, and 9TH
er private offices on the third floor. In
the basement were post Office rooms for
sorting the mail, and also the large bank
vaults.
1 knew the building we'll, for 1 was
fond of telegraphing, and spent half my
leisure time perched up beside grandpa
in his Office, sending and receiving mes
sages, 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 wit. and
flashed nonsense to our office when busi-
ness was dull. 1t fell fiat when grandpa
was in the Office, but if l were there, l
sent back jest for jest, and sometimes an
hour slipped by like minute as we
talked over the wires of every topic un-
der the sun. He called himself Lion,
and l, for nonsense, signed myself Ele.
phant. laughing while 1 did so at the
reflection of my tiny figure in the Office
mirror.
Beyond Dryden, and only five miles
from Baysville, was c., a large COM
mercial town, the nearest railway sta.
tion, and where an Office was always
open for the accommodation of travellers
AS | have said, Tom Knight was the
night watchman of Baysville Bank build
ing and a lonely time he had of it. The
last mail came by stage at four O'Clock
in the afternoon, and the post Office wa
vacated at six. The bank closed a
three, and by six every office was desert
ed for the night.
At seven Tom was on duty, and grand
pa, who was restless at night, was il
the habit of taking down some coffee ant
luncheon, as the building was only
stones throw from our house.
On the December night L have al
ready mentioned, it had stormed heavil
all day, and l had taken a new class a
the Academy, coming home later in tn
day than usual, and excited over my in
crease of salary.
Everybody else had gone to bed, an
l was lingering over the kitchen fir
with Mrs. Knight, dreading the plung
into my cold room, where l had allowe
the fire to 60 out.
The clock struck twelve, and Mr.
Knight, lifting her face from over th
fire, said:
"Do call grandpa, Olive; he's aslee
on the sofa in the sitting room. I'll hay
Toms basket ready by the time grandr
has his coat and hat on. l hate to ca
him, for he was complaining of rheum;
tism today, and the ground is very we
although the storm is over.''
"Let him Sleep" 1 said; "I'll ru
over with the basket. 1t is not step.
'But it is SO dark. Are you n,
afraid ?"
"Not a bit. I'll slip on my waite
proof and rubbers, and draw the hoe
of the cloak over my head"
"Well. if you will. Though 1 a
afraid Tom will scold at my letting yc
CO."
"1'll put the basket on the table an
run, and he will never know who lie
it."
$50 into the rear basement door.
leaves that open for grandpa
II know"
| grasped the handle of the baske
hurried across the space between Il
building and the house, and stole soft
in at the rear basement door, in purs
ance of my plan to drop the basket al
/ run.
In my rubber shoes my steps we
noiseless, and | had scarcely passed t
threshold when l stood rooted to t
floor in terrified amazcment.