Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-10
A MUSICAL TRIUMPH.
PART !.

You went up three or four steps, making your
way as best you could between casks Of sour
looking plums and apples, which, If you would
but consent to ''take them as they rose," or, in
other words as they naturally presented them
selves, and not pick and choose, You could buy
cheap. You pushed aside some festoons Of
dangling brushes, were gently bumped by a
string of Portugal onions, caught glimpses of
photographs Of various beautiful places in the
district as you displaced these things, and at
last effected an entrance into Archibald Browns
shop. This was the post Office, telegraph Office,
and general store shop Of the village Of Sells
wyke Bay, in Yorkshire. Nowhere else within
radius of seven miles could you buy dress, a
bit of elegant trousering," cheese, or good
piece OF ham or bacon. Apples and plums might
be had for the begging or stealing by the tender
youth of Selswyke, and were SO had; but no.
where else could clothes and provisions and
everything wanted in house be bought. The
inhabitants of Selswyke were unusually well
endowed, being. when farmers either on a
large or small scale, i'll the habit of saying that
they had beef mutton, ham, eggs, chickens
and ducks within themselves" and vet this
shop was needed. If it had been in Scotland
It's owner would probably have been known as
Archie Athings; here he was tremendously
styled MIR. Archibald Brown, and. being a man
of genial but thoroughly respectful manners
and much information. his shop was abun-
dainty resorted to by persons who sometimes
dld not want much more than few words with
him. The squire of the neighborhood-a proud
man with more pedigree than rent roll but
more rent roll than sufficed to keep up the dig
nlhed state in which his life was spent-was
there now. He had gone in to buy some post
cards, and being fully six feet high had not got
IN without becoming aware that Mr.. Brown had
Portugal onions for sale. He had bought his
and had v,oI g. q. -
talk with MIR. Brown about some local matter.
Geographic message was being transmitted.
Mr.: Brown was unaffected by this. Squire
Rokewood found its incisive little clicks great
hlndrance to conversation.
You seem to let those people at the other
END OF the wires work away as they like with
out taking any notice of them" said he.
The message is not for us, sir. 1t is mes
sage from Scorton to Wragborough"
Wragborough was town that was ten miles
away.
Really! And you hear the clicking of the
Scorton message as it goes! 1 did not know
that you could do that. Then can any OF the
o.her of1ces between Scorton and Wragborouah
hear it, too?'' oI1eLIA -,
Its heard just the same in every one Of
them. SIR"
Il had no idea of that; but, after all, I SUD-
pose none OF the offices know what is being
flashed along the wires but the one that the
message Is intended for, and that even the one
1t Is intended for doesn't know what the mes
sage Is until 1t has been worked Off on to the
taper"
''Oh. yes, they do-that is, thew might-for
In those offices people are mostly too busy to
think OF message that is not intended for
them. But 1T is astonishing how soon even the
snop boys learn to distinguish the sound of the
stroke made by each letter"
Il had no conception that our messages were
such public property" said Mr.. Rokewood Il
snail word mine much more carefully in
future. But Mr.. Brown. do you really mean
to tell me that you, standing here talking to
me, could, II you chose to listen, hear what
that message is2'
'of course could, sir. 1 have heard some
of it,
what was it?'
You must please to excuse me, sir. Such
Information as that must be kept to myself-it
is my DUTY! However. it is common message
enough and not i'll the least worth knowing"
d, And you say that the shop boys can read
the messages by ear, too. Can that bow of
yours do it?' Mr.. Rokewood was referring to
remarkably stupid-looking little fellow. who,
to the distraction of a woman in hurry. was
struggling with the management of the weights
and scales.
Yes, sir; he is long way quicker in under
standing by hearing than l am
MIR. Brown at this moment was called away
10 the inner shop to I'LL in some money orders
and receive some savings bank deposits and
the squire, who had not got over his astonish-
ment at that stupid boy being able to inter-
pref telegram by using his ears-what
enormous ears they were by the bye-said to
MIN, "Can you really do as much as your mas
ter says you camp
100, aye, SIR" replied the boy carelessly.
and, no customers being there, began to amuse
himself by plllng up the weights in the form of
a pyramid with an amount of noise that was
simply astounding Suddenly he darted off to
the WINDOW signal had informed him that
10
office. Dexterously adjusting the tape so as to
be ready to receive the communication, he
slghalled that he was prepared, and waited to
see the message print itself off.
mo" cried Squire Rokewood, imperatively,
come to the other end of the shop this
moment want to see if you really can tell
what this message is just by hearing"
Inc squire was the squire, and without
seconds hesitation the boy obeyed. Mr. Roke-
wood, too, had no hesitation-his strong desire
10 know II what had been said to him could be
true made him forget that he had no right to
try to possess himself Of knowledge not in
tended for him.
Go onr he exclaimed impatiently, for the
clicking had stopped and the boy was not say
ing a word.
On hearing this command he made some of
the uncouth sounds which in his rank of life
betoken suppressed laughter. The squire felt
inclined to shake him and showed it,
II can't help 1t, sir. It's such queer kind
OF message for anybody to send" said the
boy.
''Oh, never mind that! Tell me what IL ia
and then will have that tape examined to see
If you have told me right. I don't believe you
can tell mer'
:" You perfect pest! What tramp That's
what it is! It's from Agnes-her name is
Agnes"
The squire laughed loudly-he was such
stiff young squire, too, in a general way, and
never could unbend. The boy grinned from
ear to ear and wished all messages were as
funny this.
''You are inventing It'll" exclaimed the squire,
with sudden suspicion that his dignity was
being tempered with by an oaf of q boy in a
general store shop.
NAY, you can see for yourself what's there, {"
answered the boy, going to the window and
holding up the delicate tape. The squire, how
ever, could see nothing but q very ORDERLY
arrangement Of lines and dashes. The bov
could evidently read this with perfect ease
and was once more in a widespread grin Of de-
light. As for the squire, he could do nothing
but wonder that prime ministers were not
habitually chosen from the ranks of telegraph
boys
Jack! Jack! Mr.. Rokewood! Sir, what are
you doing?" cried Mr.. Brown, who had re-
turned to the shop to find these two porting
over the message and forgetful of all else,
though q woman was standing there by the
counter with o penny laid on It ready for her
intended purchase and two boys were clamor-
Gus for rockets.
go and get the rockets, Jack" cried Mr..
nd hn a. - A.