McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-08-07
CHRISTIE'S TELEGRAPHING.

pCCh ihfCHlCu, duu ycb l. all Sldu tueJ
were not sooner invented. p should
like to tell you the reason. That will
take some time, for it is quite story.
We live in the country at Oakbrook,
my father is treasurer and superintend-
ent of the Oakbrook mills. Our house
"a very pleasant country house it is
is situated on beautifully wooded
slope close to the river, and is quar-
ter of a mile from the river. That is
why a telegraph wire was placed be-
tween the two.
l promised father when it was put
up that / would learn to send messages
over it. There was no one else in the
family who could have learned. Both
my brothers were away to boarding
school and mother would as soon have
thought of studying the Chinese Ian,
guage as telegraphy.
Father declared that l never would
learn. Girls had but little patience!
for such things, he said. Neverthe-
less the wire was put up and connected
with a battery in the library, and in
Just four months time / had mastered.
the alphabet and technicalities of the
instrument so that could use it read
lily and was able to 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
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 1
have said all that was necessary to en-
able you to understand what occurred
on a certain February night, about
which am going to tell you.
We were through supper and were
sitting together, father, mother and l,
around the table in the library, when
Joseph, our coachman, and man-of-all-
work about the place, brought in the
mail as usual.
I Father eagerly took letter, which
seemed to have been expected, from the
other letters. / noticed disturbed
expression upon his face as he read it;
and was more anxious than surprised
when he arose and went to the hall
door and called to the girl who was in
the dining room.
Mary said he, ''tell Joseph to
harness Prince at once. 1 must get to
the Junction in time for the 9 o'clock
express. He'll have to finish his sup
per when he gets back
Then he turned and said that the
letter contained intelligence that made
it necessary that he should 60 to New
York that night. Of course, as the
wife and daughter of business man,
we knew what he meant, and that
there was not word of remonstrance
to be said. So mother went to make
for him what preparation was needful
and | should have followed her mo-
ment later, but father called me back.
Christie" he said rather soberly,
s'I am going to tell you something that
no one knows anything about save
Harry Randall. l have quite large
sum-over Sc, 000-in my pocket" He
touched his breast with his finger. Il
never keep large amounts of money by
me, but in this case it was unavoida-
BILE, and l thought 1 should feel less
anxious to have it with me than to al
low it Ito remain in the safe at the
office. l cannot, of course, take it to
New York, so 1 want you to take
charge of it till tomorrow morning,
and then carry it to Randall for him to
deposit in the bank. Don't say any
thing to your mother about it. She is
so timid and nervous that she would
not sleep wink all night if she knew
so large a sum was in the house. Do
YOU understand"
With no slight feeling of responsible
ity I took the leathern pocketbook
which he handed me and placed it in
the pocket of my dress.
Father went on, perhaps you had
better put it under your pillow; OF
course it is fire that / am most anxious
about. There is no danger of the
money in any other way. Not a soul
knows about it. )"
Then he went into the hall and came
very unexpectedly on Joseph, for l
heard him speak somewhat sharply to
him because he had not gone to the
stable and declaring that his business
was of more Importance than his sup
per. / heard Joseph mutter some
thing about taking time to finish his
meal.
Ten minutes later. as father was 60
ing down the steps to get into the car,
riage, he turned back to me, and hold
ing his umbrella so mother could not
hear, he whispered:
eve been thinking, Christie, that
young Randall had better come and
Sleep at the house. l shall feel easier
about you. He is to be there at work
tonight until very late
Then he stepped into the buggy, and
they drove away in the darkness and
rain.
( did not send message to Harry
however. Indeed, I laughed little
as thought of fathers anxiety. He
was almost as timid as mother, al
ter all. ;.
Twas of rather easy. careless dis
position, and really had not particle
of fear of having the money in my
Keeping. And as we two sat there in
the library, mother doing in the
big chair, and | intent upon some
r-aC anyInnS t(