The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1896-12-24
THE TILEP HONE

bfFG - 3deEl1 called kNAf ltt '"' 49,
ta Grutet3. ptrt Ar Bslat't % T.
wss lying serioasly ID asd Jennie LET
. Leeg el8ssfs slose. Is vac not dsH
eattsst, FOR scarcely .py one tfaSeled Of
sr the B.rrIasion r4si sissf O'Clock 'as
lhass wlo 3is passed ,htoash the opsi
gate ~naout psyios t3l
Bat fyeg il the t.sk bal been hsfdd
JeIr e soalj bssc been canal to a. sh'
.h.d lived ct The t5.lxste ever sipee rh'
wa,s bsby aud Aces perfectly SeIl Whsi
10 charge anl b0s 10 lire the proper
oaanse laI,sd che eiieu Ok toll f3r he'
father sles be sss,t home snd people
pas.iog through vouli ~oDdsr hoS %
bright sni pretty ssit coud gro" up 10
go louesome plsca.
J.unie. however, did not mod the lone
tuuuess. H.r desresi wish vas 10 30 to
boarding school bat as long ss she was
st home i; msttered little TO her tbst Bh
ripgtou Was three miles of on the one
hand sod Heyeester ten miles on the 9th
er ADD t4al there was scarcely house be
seen. She even liked the solitude Snd
was almost sorry when toe telephone coo
nectlug E.rriugto snd Weyee,t made a
oouueeii II by the way with the tollsste.
Before that they seemed to be oat OF
| the world and the people coming through
tbe gate we're Ike visitors from another
spbere Nos tie frequent ringing Of the
call bell reminded her that clyillz 'tion
vas not so i4r distant after all. On this
particular night there was not liable TO be
even the usual lumber OF lassersby
Looking out OF the door about 9 o'clock,
Jennie could ,rdly see more than lUO
ieet eltber up or down the road 1t wonld
be q bad night. she thought, for the gate
to swing shlt. Anybody con l1g alone
might run into it vito o.. Srt lag For
tbs matter, people might iua into the
posts on either side. 81 Sd, hung AN
tern on Que post to pr'vent tbis accident
aud, going INTO the hDuse locked the
door and went TO bed. TIE fact that she
wss alone in the h'use did not disturb
her 10 the least and in minute or two
she was last Ssletp,
Som time 10 the biyft she was sudden
~ awakened by the ringing OF the tele
phone bell. She listened confusedly to |
hear il il would rug three times, which |
was the tollgste signal. lit raug oftener
1t WAS to call up some OF the other people |
on the same wire Two of the counec ions
she knew we're in Weycester; the third |
and fourth were in the Darlington bank,
the fifth 10 the tsnnery aud the six 10 the
central office at Darlington. Ia the bewiI
dtrment Jennie could not determine at
first how many time. the bell did ring,
but at last she decided t was six the call
for tue Darlington central office. That
did not mean the tolgate, OF course, ana
Jennie prepared to turn over for another
nsp wi en- a tudden thought aroused her.
1t was certainly after midnight and the
central { flee did 10, keep open later than
IL o'clock. The bank, too, was shut up
s1 d so was the tinnery on the whole line
she was probably the only per on who
hes rd the bell. What il it should be some
thing mpertsnt2 ludeed it would hsid
~ ring OF that time OF night unless it were
important
Quickly jumping ont OF bed, she ran to
The instrument, put the receiver to her
ear and called through the transmItter:
Hello Hellol
A voice came back TO her, so distinct
hat IT seemed almost in the same room, Z
,syiHg: 2
Hellol Is that the central officer q
The tone was quick and sharp and Jen o
lie felt sure that something must have /
happened I
No. sir. she called. It's the tolleste, n
NJ Jennie Bartlett.
Tell yolr isther to come here immediate d
=, the voice said. It's very important, a
Jennie ielt sinking at besrt.
Ftther's away, she said, snd I'm here d
lone. II
She heard voice excaim something 10 I.
o impatient tone snd then the sound Of b
wo OF three people talking, as though r,
here was some doubt as to Whist could be Y
one. "
Csn do sbythiDg' she Inquired, almost (,
opiog that she could not,
Another conversation oloved. which q
ennis overheard: the speakers were no a,
oubt nearer the telephone
Why do you vaut to let them get into
,arungtou at ull2 the voice asked. Why 6.
ot stop them at the tollgate?
To be sure, said 81 other. II they get n
ast the gate as likely as not they'll turn
own Riv,rlon road snd get A lieu of the n
rack. They csu tufn ol before they
each the gate We are sure OF them ss Of
ir as tbgt. "
Tell the eifl - And Jennie caught on
q couln-lop Of sounds. 81
Presently she hesrd smother Helol Ii
Hellel she responded
The Weyce ter bank has been robbed pr
be voice went 90 huuiedly, by two men
rho are in spring cat, drawn by ~
hitu horse, They bsve driven toward Of
,aariu, t5u, vita Mr.. Allen and tao COP Ii
tstl-s in pursuit, bat the thieves bsye &C
ali au hours start. y must
Hers the voices stopped sudderly snd A
gmpetely Even the hum Of the tlec d,
icity was co, Of 1t vas 10 via thst
10 rang the bell std called Hellol No nt
De sussered jennie felt once more the ed
sense that she wss ou, OF tie world ii
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