Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1904-08-24


phone rang sharply a. though some
one were IN a great hurry she hasten
ed to receive the message: THAT you,
Nora?' ct was Aunt Alice after ALL
II left my desk unlocked. and there Is
a large sun Of money in It. As I'm
not coming home for several hours I'd
Ike to feel that all is right. Call down
70 Jane. tell her to lock It and bring
you the key. I'll hold the line g min
ute to hear that she's done it,"
Nora wheeled herself to the speak
ing tube and whisued several times.
then out IN the hall and called loudly.
but could hear nothing 10 reply. She
began to grow frightened: Jane was
a comparatively new servant, and the
two were 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 there7 Well. !
can't get Jane; I've called and whistled
Something's wrong; can't you come
homer"
III come at oncei" and Nora heard
her aunt ring on sharply.
After a few minutes the girl heard a
footstep in the servants room 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 APP
D~earance Of the servant, her baggage
and her dress. She asked the operator
20 detain her. and he promised to have
the policeman in charge look out for
her. The girls mind was working
alertly now, and the telephone was rap
idly proving itself an able assistant. She
next called up the Dalton police sta
tion, again told her story. and asked
that an officer be sent out on the ex-
press which would stop at Oakley, and
would they please be quick about It, for
the train vas due there at one o'clockl
Then she leaned back In her chair
exhausted and waited, as the smoke
marked the pathway. Of the express
along the valley. She saw her aunt
driving rapidly down the road; soon
she burst into the room In a whirlwind
OF excitement: "Child, we've been
robbed! What shall we do?" and
strong Aunt Alice sat down weakly in
= rocker, actually on the verge Of tears
Nora turned to.the telephone: Wait.
Aunt Alice. I'll see If she's caught"
MFs. Harding listened in b%ewilderment
to the conversation that followed Al
though 1t was o~ne-sided. she gathered
from It that in some manner Jane had
been apprehended before she had fairly
started. Her niece turned to her after
a minute, trembling. but eager: They've
taken her. and she had a lot Of things
besides NE money; the chief himself
came out to arrest her. and the whole
party's coming here SOS she can be
Identified"
Then Nora told the rest Of the story,
while her aunt leaned back on the
cushions Of the chair and tried to un-
derstand It.
Mrs. Harding started to her feet az
the chief, Jane. and the operator from
Oakley. with a miscellaneous party fol-
lowing, entered her front gate. 81
don't know which to admire most" she
exclaimed, "your presence Of mind and
simple common sense, or that wonder
Of modern inventions, the telephone.
but I believe I'll decide on the common
sense. Man may invent all he pleases.
but only the Lord can fashion a mind
that works when the occasion demands
II" and the aunt departed to interview
her faithless servant. while Nora.
through these rare words OF praise. re-
ceiYed an uplift that long afterward
bore her triumphantly through hours
Of loneliness and pain.-Young People