The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-14

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But for an instant kept them prisoners.
The full moon looked for Mary War
riner's little house that night as soon as
a clearance of the sky permitted, and
then beamed down on her abode efful-
gently. But it was IL o'clock before the
gusty wind blew the thick clouds aside
and let the orb illuminate Overlook
Back of the shed in which the telegrapher
worked by day was a structure in which
she slept at night. 1t was built of slabs,
with big growing trees to form its ir-
regular corners, and their lowest limbs
contributed the rafters, while stripped
bark and evergreen boughs made the
roof. The foliage swayed above in the
fitful wind, and covered the cabin and
the grass around it with commingling,
separating. capering shadows of leaves,
as though a multitude of little black de.
mons were trying to get to the slumberel
within. Their antics looked spiteful and
angry at first, but as the wind lessened
to a breeze, and as the moon seemed tc
mollify them, they became frolicsome
without malice, and at length, when the
merest zephyrs impelled their motions.
they gam aoled lazily, good humoredlv
above and around the couch of Mary Mite.
1t was midnight when a man shot into
the open space around the cabin like a
missile. He ran first to the front of the
structure. where tarpaulin curtained
the shed for the night, and gazed for a
moment blankly at this indication that
the hour was not one of business. Ire
mendous haste was denoted in his every
step and gesture. He plucked twice at
the canvas as though to pull it down.
Then he skurried around to the single
window of Mary's apartment, whose
only door opened into the shed. and
pounded with his knuclles on the i'll
fitted sash, making it chatter loudly ST.
lence within followed this noise without.
Hello, Wake up" he cried. Don't
fool for a minute. Wake up!''
There was no response, and he skipped
TO and fro in his impatience. He was an
ordinary shoveler and FOUNDER, with
nothing TO distinguish him from the mass
of manual laborers at Overlook, but IN
like the usual man with an, errand at the
telegraph station fourished a scrap of
paper.
Il want to telegraph" he shouted, and
struck tie window again. "Get up,
quick! It's life and deathy''
Mary Warmer was convinced that
her services were urgently and properly
required. She peeped warily out to in
spect the man, estimated him to be
merely a messenger, and then opened
wide the sash, which swung laterally on
hinges. Her delicate face bore the same
sort of calm that characterized it dur
ing business hours, but the moon shone
on it now, the hair had got loose from
the bondage of knot and pin, and for al
outer garment she was carelessly en-
wrapped in a white, feecy blanket The
man did not give her time to inquire
what was wanted.
You're the telegraph girl, amt you?'
he exclaimed. well, here's something
TO telegraph. It's in . hurry, hurry
hurry. Don't lose minute
Il couldn't send it tonight" Mary
said.
You musti'
''It isn't possible. There is nobody a.
the other end of the line to receive it
The wire is private-belongs to the rail
road company-isn't operated except il
The daytime. You'll have to wait unit
Tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll be a hundred year.
ED or else dead" the man almost wall
ed in despair.
WHAT
Il was only ten years old yesterday
Tonight I'm sixty. To-morrow'l be too
late. Here-here-send it tonight, miss
Please send it tonight"
The mystifed girl mechanically tool
Che piece of paper which he thrust int
her hands, but her eyes did not drop be
fore they discovered the insanity in hi
face, and when they did rest on the pape
they saw a scrawl of hieroglyphics. L
was plain that this midnight visitor wa
maniac. Against Overlook's civil an,
sane men Mary had entrenched hersel
confidently behind her apathy, but with
in the round of the clock she had beef
beset by agreeable sentiment, by violen
passion and now by irrational delusion
She screamed for help.
A Waterman responded almost instant
ly to her call. He was a stalwart fel
low, employed to guard the company
tools and machinery against mischief a
night, and his patrol, since Mary inhab
tied the cabin, had brought him very fire
quently past the place. He CHANGED t
have come almost there when he hear,
the outcry. Upon seeing the cause O
the girls fright he dropped all perturba
lion of his own and treated the inciden
as matter of course. The lunatic woh
bled like drunken man about to col
lapse as he mumbled his request owe
and over again.
Here now. Eph," the watchman said
with as much of cajolery as command
''you mustn't bother the young lady
Amt you ashamed to scare her this way
Get right out of this
The Waterman took the other by tn
arm, and as they started off-one insist
ing, one objecting-the official locke
back to say, "He won't hurt nobody
Miss Warmer; he's just little cranky
that's ALL
Mary watched them out of sight, an
while she was doing SO Gerald Heat
approached from the contrary direction
He had heard the girls scream. VIII
he was within earshot he might not hav
been able to explain satisfactorily, for
was not his habit to take midnight walks
even when the air was so brightly moon
lit and SO temporarily fine; but if cross