Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1882-03-23
CHRISTIES'S TELEGRAPHING.


Is quite 4 story.
! We live in the country. at Oakbrook.
and my father IS Treasurer and Su-
perintendent of the Oakbrook Mills.
Our house-a very pleasant country
house it isis situated on beauti-
fully wooded slope close to the river,
and is a quarter of a mile from the
mills. That is why telegraph wire
was placed between the two.
| | promised father when it was put
up that l would learn to send mes
saGes over it. There was no one else
in the family who could ihave learned.
Both of my brothers were at board
ing school, and mother would as soon
have thought of studying the Chinese
language as telegraphy.
/ Father declared that | would never
learn. Girls had but little patience
for such things, he said. Neverthe-
less, the wire was put up and con-
nected with q battery in tue library.
And i'll just four months time l had
mastered the alphabet and the techni-
calities of the instrument, so that |
used it readily, and was able to read
the message 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
| instrument, 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
| have said all that is necessary to
enable you to understand what oc-
cured on certain February night,
about which l am going to tell YOU
/ We were through supper, and were
sitting Observation-Disclosures. mother and
I-around the table in the library,
when Joseph. our coachman and
man-of-all- about the place,
brought in the evening mail as usual.
Father eagerly took letter that he
seemed to have been expecting, from
the others. | noticed disturbed eX-
preston upon his face as he read it,
and | was more anxious than sur
prisea when he arose and went to the
hall door and called to the girl who
was in the dining room.
Mary" said he, stell 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 back. -
Then he turned and said that the
letter contained intelligence that made
it necessary he should 90 on to New
York that night. OF course, as the
wife and daughter of Il business man,
We knew what that meant, and that
there WAS not word of remonstrance
to he said So mother went to make
for him what preparation was needful,
and | should have followed her 8
moment later, but that father called
me back.
. '.Christie," said he, rather sober
ly, I'm going to tell you something
that no one knows anything about
save Harry Randall. l have quite ;
large sum Of money-over two thous
and dollars-in my coat pocket.
never keep large amounts of money
by me, but in this case it was una
voidabIe. and | thought | should fee
.. less anxious to have it with me THAI
to allow it to remain at the office il
the safe. | cannot, of course, take i
to New York. SO want you to take
charge of it, and keep it until to-mor
row morning and then carry it t.
Randall for him to deposit in th'
bank. Don't say anything about i
+ to YOUR mother. She is so timid an,
{. nervous that she would not sleep
wink all night if she knew so large
q sum was in the house. Do you un
;, derstand -
With no slight feeling of responsi
. bility, | took the leathern pocket
:, book which he handed me and place.
G it in the pocket of my dress.
Father went on, 'Perhaps you bet
e ter put it under your pillow. o
t, course, it is fire that am most anX
: ious about. There's no danger t
II the money in any other way. Nc
r. a soul knows about it,
C Then he went into the hall an
came very unexpectedly upon Joseph
for l heard him speaking somewha
/. sharply to him because he had nc
). gone to the stable, and declaring ths
,. This business was more consequence
Of than his supper. / heard Josep
i mutter something about taking tim
). to finish his meal.
] Ten minutes later, as father we
40 going down the steps to get into tn
carriage, he turned back to me, an
ar holding his umbrella so that motht
" could not hear, he said:
Y ':I've been thinking, Christie, tn;
young Randall had better come an
a. sleep at the house. shall feel easi,
r about you. You can telegraph hi
n at the office. He is to be there
work tonight until very late.
Then he stepped into the bugg,
H. and they drove away down the pal
25 into the darkness and the rain.
l did not send message to Harr.
however. Indeed, l laughed lit
as thonoht of fathers anxiety. I