The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-10-26
SHUT EN- A VAULT.

Colonel Harry Ford was the presi-
dent of q big bank in western
state, and the colonel and I were, at
the chroricling of this tale, in New
York, whittier we had gone as
chance travelling companions on a
train from the west. It was on Sun
day morning, and as we took it easy
in the handsome apartments he was
occupying a messenger boy brought
him a telegram. The message was
from his wife, and, the boy being
bright eyed youngster, the cheerful
colonel chatted with him pleasantly
a moment and gave him quarter
as he departed.
Doesn't that make telegraphing
come pretty higha' l inquired, with
the true Yankee spirit of thrift.
IT used to be one myself" he said
in explanation, land now whenever
see bright eyed kid like that I
warm up to him and give him some
thing, though not always quarter.
Being Sunday and the telegram be-
ing from my wife, I do bit better
than usual and part with all of 25
cents.
'sDo you really mean that you
were once a messenger boys'' I ask
ed in great surprise as looked over
the elegant man of the world, every
inch gentleman born, who sat in
the big chair by the window grace
fully poising cigar in his thumb
and finger.
Really and truly" he laughed,
land if you can stand reminis-
cence this morning I'll tell you the
story of my life. Journalists"-and
he bowed over the arm of the chair
81 believe, are always on the look
out for interesting facts in history
and fiction, aren't theys"
I hastened to assure him that they
were, and after making me swear
that would keep awake at what
ever sacrifice he began.
.sWhen was youngster Of TO-"
he said. 81 was messenger boy
earning the luxurious salary Of 9S
a week, all of which gallantly
turned over to my mother, who was
q bankers daughter, though she
had been turned out Of her fathers
house because she had not married
to suit him and her stepmother. In
deed she had gone further and
married the man who had suited
her, and after that, while her heart
was never empty, she and her hus-
band and only son were often 80.
and life was not quite as rosy as it
might have been. We were brave
people. though, and with my 50
week we managed somehow to get
along. / improved after year or
two and incidentally picked up teleg-
raphy, so that when was Is Igot
place at q small country station
in Missouri and took my mother
there to live with me on my salary
of $40 month, my father having
died a year before.
when I was is my mother died,
leaving me alone in the world. At
the funeral my grandfather re-
tented sufficiently to propose that
he educate me, which proposal / ac-
cepted and agreed to take good
business education. By the time I
was q 1 had been graduated, and
my grandfather gave me a position
in bank he owned in very pleas
ant interior town, where / showed
such aptitude that the old gentle
man entirely forgaye me for having
been the son of his disobedient
daughter and told me to go ahead,
and l should be partner some day.
1.-THE next most natural thing IN
.he world to do was to fall in love,
and did it for all there was in my
throbbing heart, and on the evening
of the day was promoted to the
cashiership Of the bank l asked
Kate Vernon to be my wife. / did
it advisedly. too, for my GRANDPA
ther had told me when married he
would give me an eighth interest in
the bank. Miss Vernon wasn't the
most beautiful girl the eye of man
ever rested on, and even | was forced
to confess that there was too much
pug in her nose for classic beauty,
but she was the brightest young
woman in the county and the cheer
lest, and / was heels over head ID
love with her, which made up for
all discrepancies.
During all the time Of my expe-
rience in the bank I had kept up my
interest in telegraphy, and after
Kate and had settled upon our fu-
ture relationship / had connected
her house with my room at the
bank, and whenever had the
chance called her up and and talk
ed love to her between meals by
electricity. don't know how much
of that kind Of talk we INDUCED in,
but l do know that Kate became al
most an expert telegraph operator