The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-19
HEARD DEsPAIRING CRIES
BY TELEPHONE As WIFE AND BABE
WERE MURDERED.
He Was Many Leagues Away and
Was POwerIess TO Aid Them--An
AgOnizing Experience.

gether, and so I walked along the boule-
ward with NJ. Maroux a man with kind
ly face but marked with an infinite melan-
choly.
"Will you wait a minute for me?' said
I, as we reached the postofice, Il wish to
go in and telephone"
He started at the last word, and I saw
his grip tighten on his cane. When I re-
turned he still seemed nervous, and to
break an uncomfortable silence I made
some commonplace remark about what
marvellous invention the telephone was and
what inestimable services the progress of
science is doing US every day.
do you think SOP" replied NJ. Maroux,
in tone of bitter irony. 1T seems to me,
on the contrary, that science, far from
aiding us, only emphasizes our human
weakness and cruelty multiplies the means
that can cause us suffering. But you will
understand me better if l give you an ex-
ample of what mean from my own ex-
perience:
IT was spending my fall vacation with
Louise, my wife. and Marcel, my little
son, at my country place at Morande,
which I had just bought. 1t was in the
country, and about three leagues out of
Marseilles. Nanette our old servant, was
both housekeeper and cook. Blaise, who
was devoted to me, delighted at being
once more near the city where his worthy
old mother lived, fulfilled the functions of
gardener, and had his quarters in a de-
tached clubhouse.
o11n my
dogs at my heels, l used to wander about
all day with my wife and baby in that
delightful solitude To make amends for
our isolation, I had a telephone line put
up to connect with the central office at
Marseilles and by it every evening, as
sat in my bed chamber, 1 could learn
what had been done during the day at
my factory in Paris.
''Our peaceful life was interrupted by
notice from the superintendent; by making
personal application l could probably OBJ
| tain an important government order. The
weather was so fine and Marcel seemed so
well that Louise decided to wait for me at
| Morande. But on the eye of my depart
ure from Paris the rain fell in torrents.
When the hired vehicle arrived before my
door, at sight of the immense blackness
of the fields and woods 1 felt a sudden
| gripping at my heart
"'You will be away only two nights
| Louise assured me- 'Nanette viii sleep
near my room; Blaise has your gun, and
| from the house where he sleeps he could
hear US call; and the dogs are an excel
lent guard.
" L kissed Louise and Marcel and start
| ed on my. journey. On the train l pass
| ed a most uneasy night and 1 had no
| sooner reached Paris than l jumped out
| of the carriage and fastened to tele-
| phone office Communication being es-
tabllshed, heard, nasal and mufFied, but
! still very sweet to me, the voice OF my
wife
'Henor I called. How did you pass
| the night, Louise? Were you very fright
enedY
Eyes a l'rtle-Nanette especially. We
! did not get to s.eep until almost daybreak.
| because Nanette thought she heard steps
| in the gardan. The dogs, which we had
forgotten to unite, had been barking a
| long time. Al last we opened the window
| and called Blaise He took the gun,
| loosed the dogs, and made a tour of the
! house, but he did not find anything sus-
| picious. Baoy, who did not suspect any
! thing, the fine little fellow, has walked up
and is calling. Me-Good-by If you have
| a moment before dinner call me again.
"Only half treasured, I plunged into the
| business in hand, and was not able to go
| to the telephone again until after o'clock.
Hello, hello" 1 called. Why don't
you answer me, Louise? What is the mat
| ter?'
Something we did not expect this af-
| ternoon. The shutters had been fastened,
| the dogs united, and Nanette had put
bed for Blaise in the hall in order to save
us the terrors of last night, when boy
| from the village brought a note for Blaise
His mother has suddenly been taken very
| i'll, and she wanted him to come to her i'm
| mediately. The boy, whom we had never
| seen before, went away again as soon as
| he had delivered the note. without giving
us any further information. Blase, who
| adoree his mother was quite upset. He did
not want to leave us alone before day
| light, but his sorrowful face told how dear
| ly the delay would cost him. 1 thought
| that If this woman dies tonight, / shall
| have prevented poor Blaise from receiving
| her last blessing. So l overcame my scru-
| pies and made him go. He promised to re-
| turn this evening, and to save time he will
drive back. l have just bolted the doors
| after him. That is why l kept you waiting.
| Now, how is that business affair getting
| along?
Very WELL but let us talk about your
| self You should not have let Blaise go.
Even if he drives back he cannot return
| before 10 or II o'clock. My sole confidence
was in knowing that he was near you, and
| now he is gone And then that boy who
ran away before you had time TO think of
making sure that his news was true! At
| any rate, Blaise has left you the two dogs
and a gun, has he not?
&c The two dogs are asleep on the porch.
| AS for the gun Blaise must have left it
| in the hall. l shall go and make sure. Can
| you hear Marcel? He is sitting in my lap
| and is saying goodnight to you Listen!
| Goodnight papa goodnight
| Goodnight my darlings. / must get
bite of dinner now and then L will call
| you again.
| "Once outside felt oppressed with what
my wife had just told me. l had dissim-
| ulated my own anxiety in order not to add
| to her fears. But that uneasiness. which
| had hardly been quieted by the first con-
versation, now waXed stronger at the
| thought of this strange, incredible letter,
| which had taken away my wife's one de-
| fender, the only man in the house My
| thoughts took so dark turn that, by the
| time reached the hotel, could not swal-
| low mouthful. l left the table to return
| to the telephone Office, but my agent found
| me and laid before me lot of details
| which were essential to the success of my
| venture 1 could not dismiss him i'm
mediately and il was late when 1 re-en-
tered the telephone office. My heart
| an NV nd