Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-07-08
THE TELEGRAPH MESSAGE.
By ROBERT BARR,

TO MIN the cara OF lazy. MoSI ol MI.
Sandys' visitors were masculine, and
the manager, grizzled man OF 5O
arched his brows in surprise as ne
glanced at the card.
"Ask the young lady to come in, y he
said briefly. He whirled round in his
swivel chair and rose from it as sweet
faced girl entered, dressed in black, her
whole attire having neatness as its dis
tinguishing characteristic Pausing tor
a moment at the door, she came swiftly
forward to him, extending her hand.
81 don't suppose you will remember
me. Mr.. Sandys," she began somewhat
breathlessly. "but l thought-per-
haps''-
The manager interrupted her. speak
ing in kindly tones
"Indeed Miss Elinor, l remember
you very we'll, although you were only
a little girl when last saw you. You
have been so long at school and abroad
that a man might we'll be excused if he
failed to recognize you. Many things
have happened since last we met, you
know.
The manager was laconic man, and
he now. spoke at greater length than
was his custom. for he saw that his Wis
itor had evidently keyed herself up to
this interview and was scarcely able to
conceal her agitation A glance at the
dark costume she wore recalled to his
mind the recent death of her father
and then he felt that his last remark
had been somewhat infelicitous; but,
being an unready man and not knowing
how to remedy it. he made no attempt
to do so, contenting himself by pushing
forward a chair and asking the girl to
sit down.
When Miss McClintoch had seated
herself. Sandys resumed his position In
the swivel chair somewhat uneasily.
and for few moments there was 81
lence between them
eyes" she said at last. not looking
at him, speaking in a low voice and
trying to keep command over it, many
things have happened since then. l
came home to find my father dying, and
since his death we have learned
doubtless every one in the city knows it
now-how disastrous had been his
transactions on the board of trade. |
have no doubt the worry caused by his
fear of leaving mother and me unpro-
vided for did much to hasten his death. >
Mr.. Sandys, not knowing what to
say, murmured that probably this was
so.
"It is now three months since fathers
DEATH" continued the girl, land imme-
diately after mother and I moved to a
small cottage on Sixteenth street, where
we now live, and today l resolved to
come up here and have business talk
with you, Mr.. Sandys."
For the first time since she sat down
the girl looked up at him. and he saw
that her eyes were wet and that she
was trying to force faint smile to her
tremulous lips.
81 found I had to earn my own liv-
ing, and so two months ago I bought
telegraph instrument and learned tele-
graphing"
''But surely" said Mr.. Sandys,
with your accomplishments you do not
need to be telegraphist "
"My accomplishments, although ex-
pensive to buy. are not very salable on
the market.
"My dear Miss Elinor." said the
manager, "telegraphing is the very last
profession I would advise young lady
to take up. l warn everybody against
telegraphing. I never open morning
paper but expect to see an account of
some new invention that will abolish
telegraphy altogether. In fact, when
the telephone was perfected l rather ex-
pected it would render US all superhu-
Gus, and I am not sure but that eventu-
ally will be the case, for the long dis
tance telephone is only in its infancy
What on earth caused you to learn
telegraphyP'
81 will confess the reason with a
frankness ought to be ashamed of, .
said the girl, with a real smile this
time. II learned it because my fathers
oldest friend is manager of the Western
Union Telegraph company in this city"
"Oh, see, said the manager, with
a twinkle in his eye. "You thought !
would give you a situation?"
81 knew you would, Mr.. Sandys, "
replied the girl confidently. Her certain
ty did not seem to be shared by the
manager, who knitted his brow and
drummed nervously on the desk with
his fingers.
"You said moment since that this
was business visit. Now, Miss Elinor.
do you want me to talk to you as a
business man would talk to an apph-
can't, or am to treat you as the daugh-
ter of a valued and regretted friend1'
From now on, cried the girl eager
ly, "this is straight business. Ionly re-
lied on your friendship for my father to
gain me admittance here.
Every well, then; will begin by say
ing that the woods are full of teleg-
graphers. Up to a certain point, it
seems to me that telegraphers are as
common as the sands on the seashore.
Beyond that point telegraphers are few.
1t is like shorthand and, 1 presume, like
a great many other things. Telegraph
ing-that is, expert telegraphing-is