The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-02

AIJer Uhe emotion L felt at seeing my old |
partner in this state had subsidized, feel |
ing of intense fear replaced it. l saw
at one glance that by no possibility could |
he have moved foot after the accident,
and as | stood wondering, q doctor who
was near me said:
He vas more fortunate than many,
his death was instantaneous
81 obtained further particulars from
the people about, and learned that his
body had been extricated from the wreck
OF the carriages, where it lay with about
ton of wood and iron on top of it.
"And yet | had his telegram, sent from
Crossleigh Road, station, as | told you
before, at least five miles from the scene
OF the collision, and 1 received that tele-
gram nearly an hour before any news
came of the accident"
Hopkins knocked the ashes out of his
pipe, and was silent. The mans tale
had been told so simply, SO circumstan-
TALLY, the time and places stated so dis
unctly, and apparently truthfully, that
Frank and | for the moment were unable
to suggest any explanation. Hopkins
replenlShed his pipe with the air of one
who has nothing further to say. At last
asked:
But did you not inquire at the tele-
graph Office"
80, yes. But l hardly like to tell you
the result of my inquiries, it seems so
strange. interviewed the man who
worked the machine. did not want to
get a marvellous tale spread about, so
was very cautious in my questions, in
quiring what messages he had sent off
the day before At first | could get
nothing out of him, but l noticed, when
l asked him whether he could remember
any STANCE occurrence Just before the
accident, he seemed troubled and hest
tated little; so [ pressed him further,
and at last got this statement from
him: Sme time, about an hour, he
thinks, lefore he heard of the accident
down the line, he was standing in the
office wlthhis back to the fire, engaged
in crackin9nuts, eating apples, or some
other device that clerks with plenty of
leisure employ to while away the time,
when he felta breath of cold air as if
some one had entered and left the outer
| door alar. lie turned round to remon-
strate with the careless intruder, and. to
his surprise, Sawthe door was shut As
he glanced round the room he heard the
familiar click, click, click, and he was
quite prepared to swear he saw the
handle OF the instrument working rapidly
on its own account, and evidently send
| ing Oft message somewhere. He was
so taken aback and, indeed, frightened,
that for some moments he could not
move, and when at last he recovered
himself sufficiently to spring forward,
the movement of the handle had ceased,
and the message, whatever ii was. speed
ing to its destination. He was sure.
from the short time it took in sending,
the message was one of very few words,
and | need not say that, as telegraph
clerks are unaccuStOmed to seeing their
instruments worked by invisible agency,
he was very much puzzled, but decided
not to report the occurrence for fear his
superiOrS should think he had been
drinking. gave him couple of SOW
ereigns and begged him to say moth
ing about it. Afterward | inquired at
the other end, and found the message
had been forwarded in an ordinary way
So that in spite of my disbelief in any
thing supernatural l could only come to
one conclusion"
1T is very strange" said Frank. $50
you think -"
Il think that poor old Bobbett's ghost
flew at once to the telegraph Office and
managed to send off that important mes
sage to his Old partner and friend. Bob
bett was very clever man and no
doubt his ghost was cleyerer than other
peoples ghosts"
- So that in the general confusion it
managed to evade pursuit for few mo-
mentS?"
Hopkins made no reply.
"But," | asked, ''haye you any reason
for thinking that ghosts in general, or
Bobbett's ghoStin particular, are endued
with a knowledge of the Morse alpha
bet?"
Il have told you before" said Hop
kins, with crushing solemnity, & that
Bobbett was Il clever man, and knew
most things"
"Well, what about the what-d' ye-call-
emS-the young women, the MarthaS?"
asked Frank.
. waited some days before | closed
the account, hoping that Bobbett might
send me instructions about them some
how, but as | heard nothing from him, |
bought them back at ten per cent. less"
THAT, Isuppose, means satisfactory
conclusion, and you netted something's
Three thousand pounds. 1t ought
to have been more had | dared to wait;
for they fell fifteen before they stopped
Perhaps" added Hopkins, thoughtfully
and respectfully, chad | waited till then,
Bobbett would have sent me message
to close"
He said this in such serious good faith
that we stared at one another. When
we recovered from our establishment, |
asked:
" That profit, of course, went into the
partnership account"
"Of course it did, Sir" replied Hop
kins, almost angrily. AFTER deducting
my travelling expenses Ipassed his share
to his credit"
" And | hope" said Frank, with
solemn face, "you paid the company the
shilling for the Geographic message
which Mr.. Bobbett sent without their
permission.
Hopkins rose with manner almost
dignilied.
"Mr. Blair he said, "this is the one
subject never jest upon. have told