Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-11-18

extragagant outlay for expedition, replied
that be would lay this proposition, with tho
Dispatch before the San Francisco Office. He
then took it and read it-and re-read it He
preserved the usual professional apathy
had doubtless sent many moro enignatical
and mysterious mcssages--but nevertheless,
when he finished, he raised his eyes inquir-
ingly to his customer That gentleman, who
enjoyed a reputation for equal spontaneity of
temper and revolver, met his gaze q little i'm
patiently. The operator he'd recourse to a
trick. Irtler tie pretence of misunderstood
ing the message, he obliged the sender to re-
peat it aloud FOR the sake Of accuracy, and
even suggested a few verbal alterations.
ostensibly to insure CORRECTNESS, but really to
extract further information Nevertheless.
the man doggedly persisted IN literal trans
cript Of his message. The operator went to
his instrument hesitatingly.
Il suppose" he added half questioningly,
there amt no chance Of a mistake. This
address is Iightbody, that rich old Bostonian
that everybody knows. There amt but
one"
THAT'S the addlees. responded the first
speaker eoo1y.
Didn't know the old chap had investments
out here, suggested the OPERATOR lingering
at his instrument
No more did |, was the insufficient reply.
For some few moments nothing was heard
but the click of the instrument, as the opera
tor worked The hey, with the usual appear
on oct
reluctant nearer who preferred to talk him
self The two men stood by, watching his
motions with the usual awe Of the unprofcs-
sional. When he had finished they laid be-
fore him two gold pieces As the operator
took them up be could not help saying:
"The old man went off kinder sudden,
didn't he' Had no time to writes"
Not sudden for that kind o man. was the
exasperating reply.
But the speaker was not to be disconnected.
"If there is an answer" he began.
There amt any," replied the first speaker,
quietly
"Wbyis
"Becauss the man ea sent Tho message is
tiead
but II signed by you two"
"On'y ez witnesses-eh9" appealed the first
speaker to bis conlradc.
"On'y ez witnesses, " responded the other.
The operator shrugged his shoulders. The
business concluded, the first speaker slightly
relaxed. He nodded to the operator, and
turned 70 the bar room with a pleasing social
impulse. When their glasses were set down
empty the first speaker, with a cheerful con-
demnation Of The hard times and the weather,
apparently dismissed all previous proceedings
from his mind, and lounged out with his com
panion At the corner Of the street they
stopped
"Well, that jobs done,' said the first
speaker, by way Of relieving tho slight social
embarrassment Of parting.
~Thet's so, responded his companion, and
shook his hand
They parted. A gust of wind swept
through the pines, and struck a faint, Eolian
cry from the wirss above their heads; and
the rain and the darkness again slowly settled
upon Cottonwood.
Tho message Jagged little so G.h Frar
cisco, laid over half an hour at Chicago, and
fought longitude the whole way; so that it
was past midnight when the "all night oper-
ator took it from the wires at Boston But
il was freighted with mandate from the
San Francisco office; and messenger was
procured, who sped with it through dark
snow bound streets. between the high walls
of close-shuttered rayless houses, to o certain
formal square, ghostly with snow covered
statues. Here he ascended the broad steps of
reserved and solid looking mansion, and
pullea a bronze bell knob, that somewhere
within those chaste recesses, after an apparent
reflective pause, coldly communicated the
fact that q stranger was waiting without--as
he ought. Despite the lateness Of the hour,
there was slight glow from the windows,
clearly rot enough to warm the messenger
with indications of festivity within, but
yet bespeaking, as it We're, some prolonged
though subdued excitement The sober ser
want who took the dispatch, and recoipted
for it as gravely as if witnessing last VIII
and testament, respectfully paused before
the entrance Of tho drawing room The
sound of measured and rhetorical speech,
through which the occasional catarrhal
cough Of the New England coast struggled,
as the only effect Of nature not wholly re-
pressed, came from its heavily-curtained re-
cesses; for the occasion Of the evening had
been the reception and entertainment OF
various distinguished persons, and, as had
been epigranlmatically expressed by one of
the guests, the history OF the country was
taking its leave in phrases more or less mem
orable and characteristic. Some Of these
valedictory axiorns were clever, some witty,
few profound, but always left as genteel
contribution to the entertainer. Some had
been already prepared, and, like card, had
served and identified the guest at other man
sions.
The last guest departed, the last carriage
/ rolled away, when the servant ventured ia