Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1904-05-04

phone rang sharply as though some
one were IN q great hurry she hasten
ed to receive the message: THAT you,
Moral" ct was Aunt Alice after ALL
Il left my desk unlocked, and there is
q large sum Of money IN Il Az I'm
not coming home for several hours I'd
like TO feel that all Is right. Cal down
to Jane. tell her 70 lock Il and bring
you the key. ri hold the line a min
ute to hear that she's done III"
Nora wheeled herself to the speak
ing tube and whistled several times,
then out In the hall and called loudly,
but could hear nothing In reply. She
began to grow frightened; Jane was
a comparatively new servant, and the
two we're alone In the house. How her
helplessness weighed upon her soul at
this moment. She returned at last to
the telephone.
Aunt Alice, are you there? Well, !
can't get Jane; I've called and whistled.
Something's wrong; can't you come
homer"
"TIl come at oncel" and Nora heard
her aunt ring on sharply.
After a few minutes the girl heard a
footstep in the servants overhead,
then a door opened somewhere, and
presently the front door closed with a
bang. From the window she saw the
maid go out Of the gate carrying a
satchel. She followed the highway in
the direction Of a little station half a
mile down the road, where the express
trains would stop on signal. It was
clear enough that she had rihed the
desk and was running of.
With trembling fingers Nora seized
her directory and turned its pages. Yes!
the station had a telephone. Quickly
she told her story. describing the ap-
pearance Of the servant, her baggage
and her dress. She asked the operator
to detain her. and he promised to have
the policeman In charge look out FOL
her. The girls mind was working
alertly nov, and the telephone was rap
idly proving itself an able assistant. She
next called up the Dalton police sta
ton. again told her story, and aske'
that an officer be sent out on the ex
press which would stop at Oakley, an,
would they please be quick about 1t, TO
the train was due there at one o'clock
Then she leaned back in her chat
exhausted and waited. as the smok0
marked the pathway. Of the expires
along the valley. She saw her aun
driving rapidly down the road; 500
she burst into the room in a whirlwinI
'of excitement: Child, we've beef
robbed What shall we do?" an
strong aunt Alice sat down weakly 4
a rocker, actually on the verge Of tear
Nora turned to the telephone: WAT
Aunt Alice, I'll see II she's caught"
Mrs. Harding listened in bewildermen
! to the conversation that followed. al
! though it was one-sided, she gathere
from it that~in some manner Jane ha
been a%pprehended before she had fairl
started. Her niece turned to her afte
a minute, trembling, but eager: "They'v
taken her, and she had q lot Of thing
besides the money; the chief himse
came out to arrest her, and the Who'll
party's coming here SOS she can b
Identified"
Then Nora told the rest of the stor.
while her aunt leaned back on Ii
cushions of the chair and tried to VI
derstand il.
Mrs. Harding started to her feet {
the chief, Jane, and the operator fro,
Oakley, with a miscellaneous party 10
lowing. entered her front gate.
don't know which to admire most" 81
exclaimed. your presence OF mind an
simple common sense, or that wondl
Of modern inventions, the teleDhon
but I believe I'll decide on the commc
sense. Man may invent all he please
but only the Lord can fashion a mir
Chat works when the occasion deman,
. It." and the aunt departed to intervie
2 her faithless servant. while Nor
through these ARE words Of praise. r
ceived an uplift that long afterwai
q bore her triumphantly through hou
ID Of loneliness and pain.-Young Peopl
e Notwithstanding the destruction