Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-01-23

some of the other people on tho same
wire. Two Of the connections she knew
were in Leicester. tho third their own.
the fourth was in the Darlington Bank.
the fifth in the tannery, and the sixth in
the central Office At Darlington. In her
bewilderment Jennie could not ct first
determine how many times it did ring /;
but at last she decided it was six-for
the Darlington central Office. That did
no. mean the toll-gate, and Jennie pre-
pared to turn over for another nap, when
a sudden thought aroused her. 1t was
certainly after midnight, and the central
office did not keep open later than IL
o'clock. The bank. toe, was shut up.
and so was the tannery; on the whole
line she was probably the only person
who could hear the bell. What if it
should be something important! Indeed.
it would hardly ring at that time OF night
unless it were important. Quickly
jumping out Of bed, she ran to the in
strument, put the receiver to her ear and
called through the transmitter. Hello
hello!"
A voice came back to her, so distinct
that it seemed almost in the same room,
saying, Hello! is that the central Of
fee. ," The tone was quick and sharp.
and Jennie felt sure that something must
have happened.
"No. sir" she called; " it's the toll
gate | am Jennie Bartlett"
Tell your father to come here. right
away" the voice said lit is very impor-
tant."
Jennie felt little sinking at her heart.
Fathers away" she said, land I'm
here alone"
She heard the voice e1claim something
in an impatient tone, and the sound OF
two or three other peopls talking As
though there was some doubt ~ to what
could be done.
"Can do any,hing," she inquired,
almost hoping that she could not.
Another conversation followed, which
Jennie overheard the speakers were no
doubt nearer the telephone.
"why do you want to let them get
into Darlington at all ?" asked one Of the
voices. "Why not stop them at the
toll-gate''
ITO be sure" said another. I" II
they get past the gate, Ike - no. they'll
turn down the Riverton road, and throw
Allen of the track. They can't turn of
before they &c. to the gate; we are sure
Of them a. far as that"
Tell the girl" and then the speaker
must have turned away and Jennie caught
only confusion Of rounds.
Presently she heard another " Hello"
Hello =" she responded.
"The Leicester Bank has been rob-
bed," the voice went on, hurriedly, "by
two men with Z wagon and . white
horse. They have driven toward Bar
rington, with Mr.. Allen and two consta-
ble. in pursuit. half an hour behind. You
must"
Here the voice stopped as suddenly
and completely IS though it had had an
e1,iuguisher put over it. Even the
hum Of the electricity was cut of. 1t
was in vain that she rang the bell and
called Hello :" No one answered.
Jennie felt once more the old sense that
she was out Of the world. Leicester
seemed, all at once, hundreds Of miles
away.
But what was it she must or must not
do: Why had not the connection lasted
only minute longer, when her instruc-
tions would have been complete.
When were the rvbben expected
Jennie had made little calculation. II
they had been gone thirty minutes before
any one started in pursuit. that would
carry them by fast driving, half way to
the toll.gate. If ten minutes had gone
by before the telephone bell had rung,
she might look for them within half an
hour. What was she to do. The con-
versation which she had overheard came
TO her mind. "Stop them at the toll.
gate" one Of the voices had said. Very
likely they would have told her to do
that if the telephone had kept on. But
how could little girl arrest two armed
and desperate men:
BY this time she began to feel chilly
She could not 70 back to bed with this
responsibility upon her even though she
did not know how to meet it; 20, dress-
ing herself. she opened the front door,
and looked and listened. The night wa
darker than ever. A little space around
the gate was Lit up BY the warning Ian
tern. It would not help in stopping tn
burglars, she suddenly thought to illum