Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-03-13
And I was seized bv a little fellow.

And I was seized by a little fellow
who glanced at the address on the
velope and turned pale. He trembling
ly went back to the clerk, and, with
~quivering chin, said:
"Please, sir, this telegram is for my.
mother. Is there any bad news?"
1t seemed almost too strange to bel
true. Here I was, by wonderful good
fortune, placed at once in the hands of
those most interested in me. 1t was
little Robert Martin, who was q mes
senger, and almost the only support of
his mother and two little sisters.
No wonder he dreaded the reply of
the clerk, for the only telegram his
mother had ever before received con-
veyed the sad news of his father having
been killed in a mine near Leadville
four years ago.
"For your motherr!' shouted the
clerk, as he glanced over my damp
copy. Il gless you're of your belt,'
sonny. This message reads" He
suddenly stopped, and looking sharply
at the lad, asked: "Have you any rela-
tives in New York?'
eyes, sir" said Robert. II have an
uncle there. Is he dead?"
"What's his name?" asked the
clerk.
"Gilbert Hardman," replied Robert.
els he a rich MANI" again queried
the clerk.
81 think so, SIR" said Robert, s.for
I've heard mother say if he would do
her justice, we could go back to New
York State, and 1 could go to school,
and we could be comfortable and hap
py."
"Well, may I be scalped by a Ute
squaw!" circulated the clerk, eff I
don't believe you've struck it rich.
Here! read it yourself. 1 only hope it
is for your mother, for your sake, for
you're a good boy and deserve the best
that $ gong in the way of fortune"
Robert took the copy and read:
me YORK, July X.
"MRs. HENRY MARTIN, DENVER, Col.-x
Ware Ware R4aaiea II B s1pr tw sasS1 ]th On .he s dollaas.
Draw ut sight.
COLBERT HARDMAN."
Seeing the look of blank establishments
on the lads face, the clerk said:
81 guess it's all straight, Bob, and
your mothers a rich woman. Skip out
with it to her, and you can have the
rest of the day to yourself"
Placing me carefully in his pocket,
he left the Office, almost flying over the
pavements and across the streets to the
lower part of the city, where his humble
home was situated.
That was the most pleasant part of
my trip. I had not been sealed up
very tight, and I could peep out of tho
corner of the envelope. l saw the glad
tears chase each other down his cheeks.
and I would have cried for Joy myself
if the moisture had not all been SQUEEZE
ed out of me in that horrid press when
they took my copy.
He rushed into the house and handed
me to his mother, exclaiming:
ooh, mother!"
He could say no more, and throwing
himself into his mothers arms, cried as
if his heart was breaking.
Mrs. Martin, not divining the cause
Of his apparent grief, surmised that the
telegraph envelope contained notice of
his dismissal for some trivial ~otfense,
and attempted to soothe him the best
she could.
"Never mind, Robby DEAR" she said.
"You can probably get another place
as good as that one was"
''Oh, its not anything like that!!' in
t%errupted Robert. "Read it mother;
read it."
Mechanically she tore open the envel-
ope and read me. l could see her mild
blue eyes open wide with astonishmcnt.
and then, like Roberts. fill with joyous
tears, a she clasped her son in her
arms.
.'Oh, Robert! 1t has come at last.
Your Uncle Gilbert has done us justice
at last"
And hat very hour they arranged
plans for the future. 1t was decided
that they should draw only sufficient
money to procure suitable clothing and
whatever they most Deedcd, and start
for the East. In u week they were on
board OF the ~east-bound express, en-
route for Blankyille, Mrs. Martins old
home.
Arriving at their destination, Mrs.
Martin found her brother wiling to
still further make amends by giving her
q title deed to the old homestead where
they had both been born and reared.
l am unable to give an acciiunt of
their after life, for | was carefully laid
away with some of Mrs. Martins sssa-
cred things" But | remember that n
day Robert found me, and said:
''If I could always send and receive
messages that carried as much JOY as
you did, little telegram, | think I would
like to be q telegraph operator. "-Go5d-
en- Days.
A Good Customer.