The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-03-09
CHRIsTTEs TELEGRAPHING.

-CNtFteS NOOH 1TegoFh ~ chicago TRIBUNE
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CHRISTIES TELEGRAPHING.
- 70 lam very glad, indeed, chat teie-
phones have been inYented; and yet l
= am glad they were not sooner invented.
i should like to tell you the reason.
That will take some time for it is quite
a story.
We live in the country at Oakbrook,
and my father is the Treasurer aud SI-
perintendent of the Oakbroox Mills
Our house-a very pleasant country
house il isis situated on a beautifully
wooded slope close to the river, and IS
"a quarter of mile from the mills. That
ls why a Geographic wire was placed
between the two.
promised father when it was put up
that 1 would learn to send messages over
it. There was no one else I'm tile fami-
ly who could have learned. Both my
brothers were at boarding-schOol, and
mother would rs soon have thought of
studying the Chinese language as tele-
Eraphy
Father declared that / would never
learn. Girls had but little patience for
such things, he said. Nevertheless, the
wire was put up and connected with a
battery in the library. And in Just four
months time had mastered the alpha
bet and the technicalities of the instru-
ment, 50 that / could use it readily, and
was able 20 read the messages by ear.
1t was Harry Randall who taught me-
He was one of the clerks at the office;
and he had learned to use the instru-
Inent because it was necessary to have
somebody to send messages by the wire
that ran from the mills TO the adjacent
city of Palmer.
Having explained so much, l think I
have said allfhat is necessary to enable
You TO understand what occurred on a
certain February night, about which /
am going toteh you. ~-.
We were through supper, and were
sitting tOgether-father, mother and L
stround the table I'm the library, when
Joseph, Our coachman and man-of-all-
work about the place, brought in the
81 evening niail as usual.
La Father eagerly took letter that ne
seemed to have been expecting, from the
other lettors I noticed a disturbed ex-
precision upon his face as he read it; and
] was more anxious than surprised when
he arose and went to the haIl-door,
and called to the girl who was in the din
ing-room
"Mary," said he, tell Joseph to
harness Prince at once. l must get to
the Junction in time for the eight o clock
express. He'll have to finish his supper
when he gets baek.2 I.I .#i
Then he turned and said that the let
ter o0ntained intelligence that made it
necessary he should 90 on to New York
that night. OF course, as the wife and
daughter of a business man, we knew
what that meant, and that there was
mot a word of rempnstrance to be said.
So mother went tovmake for him what
preparation was needful; and l should
have Followed her n moment later, but
that father called me back.
Christie" said he, rather soberlv,
"I am going to tell you something'that
no enc knows anything about save Har-
ny Randall j have quite alarge sum of
money--over two -thousand dollars-in
any coat-pocket.9 He. touched his
breast with his finger. Il never keep
large amounts of money by me, but in
this case il was ltnavoidabIe and |
Thought l shotld feel less anxious to
have it with nue. than to allow it to re-
main at the Office in the safe. Icannot,
of course, take it to New York. So
want you to take charge of it, and keep
it until tomorrow morning, and then
carry it TO Randall for him Go deposit in
the bank. Dom say anything shout it
to your mother. She is SO timid and
nervols that she would not Sleepa wink
8alTnioht If She knew SO large u sum was
~
With no slight feeling Of responsible
itv, I took the leathern pocket-book
which he handed me and placed it in
the pocket of my dress.
Father went on, Perhaps You better
put it under your pillow, OF course, it
is ire chat l am most anxious about
There's no danger TO the money in any
other way Not a soul knows about it. =
Then lie went into the hall, and came
very unexpectedly upon Joseph; for
heard him speaking somewhat sharply
to him because he had not gone to the
stable. and declaring that his business
was Of more consequence than his sup
per | heard Joseph mutter something
;thout taking time 70 finish his NEAL
Tenminutes later. rs father was going
down the steps to get into the carriage,
he turned back to me, and holding his
umbrella so that mother should not hear,
he said:
1--WE been thinking, Christie, that
young Randall had better come and sleep
at the house / shall feel easier
about YOU. You can telegraph him at
the Office. He is to be there at work to-
night until very late.
Then he stepped into the buggy, and
they drove away down the path into
the darkness and the rain.
I did not send a message to Harry,
however. Indeed,l laughed nJtle as
thought of fathers anxiety. He was
almost as timid as mother, after all. l
was of rather easy, careless DISPOSE
ton, and really had not a particle of fear
in having the money in my keeping
And rs we two sat there I'm the library
for n long time after this, mother doing
i'm the big chair and I intent upon some
fancv-w0rk which was anxious to finish
in time for a friend birthday, forgot
altogether the package of money that
lay at the bottom of my dress-Pocket =
Joseph did not get back until nearly
ten o'clock, although it was only three
miles to the junction, and he should
have been home long before that hour.
We thought Little of that, hoFgever. He
bad been with Us for several years, and
had great confidence in his faithful
ness. lt.was not until afterward that
mother and I learned that he had re-
GENTLY been led into bad company, and
that father had several times had angry
words with him about his habits.
Joseph slept in the house; and fer that
reason il had seemed to me quite I'M