Evening star., 1901-11-09
VALUE or FIVE MINUTES

A group OF travelling men were discussing
the assassination of President Mckinley
the other day when one Of them said:
"Gentlemen-not to digress from the sub
ject-but have any Of you ever considered
the value of five minutes?'
All answered In the negative.
well, never considered 1t myself until
the other day. when friend of mine met
with an experience which showed how pre-
cfous FIVE minutes can be under some cir
cumstances. 1t was on the day the dead
President was buried, when, as you remem-
ber the street cars and the telegraph ceased
to operate for five minutes as marx OF
respect for the martyred chief.
MY friend, whose home Is in Washing-
ton, was engaged to be married to young
lady in Cincinnati. Owe never seen the iady
but 1t goes without saying that she Is the
sweetest girl in the world and all that sort
of thing-they all areD Her father Is
very particular old gentleman and had not
looked with favor on my friend SUIT. Inc
couple had been engaged in secret Tor three
years and it was only month ago that
the parental consent was secured.
THE young lady and her father were WIS.,
iting friends near Annapolis and 1t was
while there that he was prevailed upon TO
give In.
"Of course. they wanted to have the cere-
mony performed at once before father
could change his mind and 1t was arranged
to take place on the 10Th of September-
the day Mckinley was buried.
MY friend travels through the south for
a New York house. whose busiest month
is September and he could only get two
days leave. He fixed his dates so that he
would be in Baltimore, where the wedding
was to take place on the 10th and all ar
rangements for the affair were perfected
| by letter.
to-be came up from Richmond, where ne
was working, and stopped over in WASH
In ptp n attend to important DuSl-
ness matters. The bride-to-be and father
in-law-to-be were to leave Annapolis 1or
Baltimore on the 2:35 train, meet him at
hotel near the station, where the ceremony
would be performed by minister who
would be in waiting; the three would then
take the 4:50 train for Cincinnati
1.-THE business took more time than he
had anticipated and it was fifteen minutes
after two before he could break away and
start for the train. He would have to
catch the 2:35 train in order to be In Bal
timore on time to meet his bride-elect and
her father and he did some tall hustling,
tell you.
LAS 1 said before. the old gentleman is
very particular; he Is also very punctilious
one of those gentlemen of the old school
whose eleventh commandment is be pune
tual.' He and his daughter would leave
Annapolis at the same time my friend left
Washington and all three would arrive In
Baltimore simultaneously. My friend knew
that If he wasn't in Baltimore to meet them
when they arrived pater would be furious
and, of course. break off the match. If he
missed that 2:35 train he wouldn't have
any more chance of getting the girl than
Czolgosz had of being pardoned.
"At twenty-five minutes past he was
on a trolley car going down Pennsylvania
avenue. and, allowing for stops, would
reach the B. and o. station at 2:30 and
have five minutes to spare before the train
pulled out. Confident of being on time, he
lit cigar and was soon lost in contempla-
tion Of the great happiness in store for him.
Suddenly the car stopped and remained
still longer than it was necessary to take
| on passenger. He looked up and saw
| string of cars in front of him:
whats the matter?' he asked the con-
| ductor excitedly with his heart in his
mouth
I" The cars are stopped for five minutes
out of respect for the dead President re-
piled the conductor.
" Great Scottv
HE looked at his watch; it was half-past
2! The train would leave in five minutes
and he couldn't possibly catch 1t now.
What was he to do? Across the street was
a telegraph office. Quick flash he con-
ceived the idea of telegraphing to his
fances father before he left Annapolis in
forming him of his predicament. OF course,
he realized that only by great good fortune
could the message be delivered in time, but
1t was his only resource and he was des-
perate. In moment he was inside the
office, had scribbled a few lines on one of
the blanks and handed it over the counter
Get this off at once-its a matter Of
| life and death!'
"The operator handed it back to him,
| saying:
Sorry, sir: but the telegraph is shut off
| for five minutes out of respect
" But this is a matter
Very sorry; but the current is of all
over the country
" Jumping Jupiterv
! Beads of perspirat ton stood out on his
PROV. Visions Of gloomy future with no
loving wife to cheer it rose up before him.
There was no question of 1.-THE girl was
lost to him now beyond doubt. and the boy
| felt pretty blue. He stAfted to walk out Of
| the office when a thought flashed through
his brain that gave him new lease on life
There was a possibility, he thought, that
| the Annapolis train might be delayed by
reason of the heavy traffic on the railroads
| that day, and he might still be able to COM
municate with the girls father before 1t was
| too late. 1t was mighty slim chance, but
| 1t was his only one and he clung to 1t like
drowning man clings to straw Two
| minutes more and the telegraph would re-
sumo operations. In the suspense he was
enduring those minutes seemed like SO many
years.
Eat last the clock In the office pointed to
| twenty-five minutes to three. The cars out
In the street were changing their gongs and
slowly moving f-ciick-click-c -click-the
telegraph was again at work and the noise
OF the saunders was the sweetest music he
nad ever heard.
Hurry off my messager he blurted out
to the operator, who already had mis- finger
on the key preparing to send the dispatch
Suddenly the sounder set up series OF
furious clicks.
Wait! said the operator. quickly An
napolis is calling nowT
HE gave the answer to the call and
| threw in his switch; after slight pause the
sounder started off again at lively rate
1.-THE operator listened for moment, then
glanced hurriedly at the copy my friend hal
given him and exclaimed with surprise:
Why, it's for you, sirr
For me? Great-what Is it-quickr he
gasped, dumfounded.
Father = suddenly - ill-cannot-leave-
particulars-later.'
Those are the words the operator called
out as fast as the instrument clicked them
Off
my friend stood stock still for moment
hardly able to believe his own ears. Then
he let out a whoop that would have done
credit to a Comanche Indian, and. tossing
bill to the operator, danced out Of the office.
Talk about walking on air-why, he had
Santos-Dumont. beat to death!
After he had collected himself and came
down to earth again he wired his sweet
heart. asking for full particulars concerning
her fathers Illness. The answer informed