Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-09-20
A TELEGRAM.

BY E. b. FINDLAY.
Samuel Finisham, according to the
sign over his shop, "cabinetmaker and
undertaken" Gainesville, had finished
his early tea and was wedding in his
| back garden. 1t was August, and the
| day had been hot. In the afternoon
there had been thunder-shower, but it
had scarcely cooled the air There were
still mutterings of thunder. Heavy
clouds hung about, though streak Of
| red showed where the sun was setting.
The air held moisture like a sponge Man
and beast remembered they must breathe.
The ground was soft, aud the weeds
came up easily; but Samuel Finisham was
past middle age. Besides, he was rheu-
matte, and when he paused to wipe his
forehead he Strengthened himself pain
fully, with his hand to his back. Miriam
da, his wife, called him just then.
"Here's dispatch Jake Tyler brought
up from the railroad office; they saw him
passing on horseback, and gave it to
him to bring here on his way home"
kilograms did not come very often to
Samuel Finisham. He looked for min
ute or two at the address, then he opened
the envelope and read the contents care
fully twice
"somebody's dead up to the hotel, !"
he said.
Miranda took the paper he held out,
and read, slowly:
"Come Immediately to the hotel.
Bring all necessary to prepare body for
burial S."
"Who's 'Sg " she said.
THE clerks name, or the beginning
of it, mebbe. Well, guess | better
wash the dirt off my hands and get ready
to start"
"Immediately' does not mean the
same in village as in the metropolis,
and it was nearly an hour before his old
mare Bess was hitched into the black
covered wagon, the belongings to his trade
put into it, and the undertaken ready to
drive away.
The distance he had to travel was not
more than three miles; but it was all
uphill, for the village was in the valley.
~ AyttNAo WHY 4AttlN anu tI4t NNllly ttlI
hard on horsefesh; so 1t was nine
O'Clock, or near it, when a turn in the
road brought into view the lights of the
hotel, still quarter of mile away
The wheels soon grated on the graveied
drive, and when Samuel Finisham pulled
up in front of the high steps leading up
to the piazza he saw that something un-
usual was going on. The piazza was
thickly hung with Chinese lanterns, in
which the candles burned with steady
glow in the still air. The sound of gay
music came through the open doors and
windows. One of two stout matrons who
were tanning themselves said, as he
crossed the piazza;
at would have been better to post
pone the party till another night. Soon
we will have full moon.
But the other answered:
THE proprietor says he never changes
the date of the midsummer ball. Be
sides large party leaves tomorrow"
Samuel Finisham had reached the
door, and stood blinking and uncertain
in the glare of light in the great hall,
which had the Office at the other end. A
hell-boy, Respondent in brass buttons,
asked him if he wanted too see any one.
81 had dispatch" he said, s'tclling
NE to come here to attend to a corpse, :"
and he fumbled in his pocket for the
telegram.
''You'ye made mistake, I guess, :"
said the boy, grinuing; ''there's nobody
dead here. It's the grand party of the
season tonight, and everyone's pretty
lively"
But Samuel Finisham had his idea
firmly fixed in his mind.
81 don't see how it can be mistake, ~
he said. 81 got this dispatch telling me
TO come"
'Well, you can 90 and see the clerk
about it; and that's the telegraph opera
tor talkin' to him. You can see 'em both
at once" There was insolencc in the
bell-boy's answer.
The undertaken, holding in his hand
the telegram, crossed the hall and stood
before the desk. He told the clerk he
had ''got this dispatch" but that the
boy said it was mistake; and he laid
down the telegram. The clerk read it
and said there certainly was a mistake
somewhere, since no one was dead at the
Intervale House.
"When did you get it2" he asked the
undertaken"
at was along toward seven"
MIR. Sanders, do you know anything
about this9" the clerk asked the tele-
graph operator, ~ sec it is signed s..
but of course you didn't send it,
The man looked at the paper curiously.
"No," he said, slowly; II didn't send
it." Then his face frightened. "Likely
that fellow at GAINESVILLE made mistake.
1t was sent from '0vervale, / suppose.
The mistake has occurred before. ANY
thing ending in vale is supposed to be-
long here. We send and receive so many
more messages than the other house. In
thunderstorm, too, the wires &C crazy
and things get mixed"
The clerk seemed to find the explana
ton entirely satisfactory. lie advised
the undertaken to go to the other house,
and told him it was not more than two
and half miles away Samuel Fiuisham
answered that he knew the house and its
proprietor, David Meter, who had lived
III the neighborhood twenty years or
more. Then he took took up the tele.
gram, folded it and put it back in his
pocket, turned slowly, and walked
toward the piazza
Just as he reached the door, man in
evening dress walked up to the desk
and laid down key.
81 see you have moved into 50,
said the clerk.
YES; and 1 like it better--more
breeze, or viii be when there's any stir
ring. Just now it's close enough.
The undertaken had paused and half
turned round looking toward the desk.
Samuel Finisham had been SO sure he
was needed at tie Interysle House that