Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-23
5 The Storm Telephone Message

wedding. In room: Uttered With
scraps OF fabrics and half made wom-
ans apparel sat her mother and sew
eral other women plying needles. 1t
was early summer ana sitting hot.
Distant thunder rurnbcd.
Were going To have Storm" said
Lavonin, rising and going to the Win
dow. Gracious, how black. And
what whirlinS of clouds! It's going
to be windstorm"
There is something terrifying IN the
approach of these summer storms. The
unnatural Stiffness broken only by an
ominous muttcr, and the lnlly cloud bank
growing rapidly In size rs 1t comes
however many times we have seen
them. will still excite trepidation. 1t
was so with Lnvonia Mills. There
was n sinking of the heart as she
looked out ut the black mass from
whose bosom occasionally darted nm
angry flash.
The women remained motionlcss,
scarcely able to distinguish one nnoth-
CT In an appalling midday darkness
Branches were lushing one another;
tree trunks were cracking; the wind
was ono Wild shrek. The storm had
lasted some minutes when nbove this
confusion OF noises ring was heard
Mt the telephone on the floor below. II
struck upon those who heard II like n
knell. Lavonin whlteneG, hcsitated.
then went downstairs and took up the
receiver
"Swcethenrtw came voice which
she recognized rs that OF Henry
Thurston, her lover Without asking
question the voice went Oh hurried
ly: THE = something she could not
distinguish) Is under the floor In the
stable. in the left hand stall as you
= (uninteliiglblcl. Everything there.
Everything, everything" There was
more which was drowned by the roar
of the storm, ending In what might
be a burst OF laughter or n succession
OF wills, then silence. Lnvonin called
eagerly fcarfully, again and again,
but could get nothing further.
Henry Thurston had no blood rela-
tives except Enoch and Lydia Thurs
ton. the children of his fathers older
brothc:. These cousins were grown
when Henry was born. Henry owned
fine farm and was supposed to pos
scss other property to which Enoch
and Lydia were hcirs-atlaw They
were selfish ana crafty and had for
years been watching Henry to see
that he did not marry, thereby placing
an heir or heirs between him and
them. About the time he came OF
age they broke up one or two incipi-
ent love affairs, for Henry was too
young and they were too crafty to let
him see that they We're the prime
movers in the rupturcs. Henry was
thirty-nvc years old when he became
engaged to Lavonia Mills, and by this
time he knew we'll the game that was
being played by his cousins. They
had settled themselves In his house
ut the death of his father when he
was mere lad, and upon attaining
mans estate he had found 1t limos
sible to get them out Soon nfter his
engagement he had served them q
notice to Quit, and, knowing that q
woman was 10 bc the manager OF
tho household, they had prepared to
stay and struggle for the mastery
The day after the storm Lavonia
Mills hnrncssed up the rocknwny and
drove over TO the Thurston farm.
When nearing the house she saw n
long streamer of black Grape hanging
from the knocker, and her heart sank
within her Hurrying up the roadway
TO the house. she saw Enoch coming
out of'the door. He told her that dur
inW thn ITnnt-r Thp.ctAt,
driving through q wood. A tree had
been blown down and killed him.
For time grief ut the loss OF one to
whom she was to have been married
within few daya absorbed every feel
Ing. Then when she had become re-
signed to her loss she could not but
feel the hardship OF her position. Had
the marriage ceremony taken place she
would have been Thurston's heir. As It
was. she must plod on, as she had long
lived. In poverty. She wrote to Lydia
Thurston asking for some mcmento
from trinkcts Henry had left and ro-
ceivcd for reply that there was moth
Ing which could DO spared. Then she
heard that the cousins were taking pos
session OF the property as hclrs-at-law.
Iaronia was chiefly taken up with q
strange wonder at her lovers last mes
snge to her by telephone and what 1t
mennt. She inquired OF the different
farmers living near where BIO had been
killed. but could not learn that he had
used any OF their phones. But the mes
sasc-how could she obey 1t? The cous-
ms were In possession and would not
permit her to do so. Then she heard
that Hcnry's estate had not proved
nearly so large rs had been expected.
Henry's words suddenly had for her
meaning
One night, armed with few carpen-
fnc'a toni. oh a..