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Andy Grant's Pluck Part 1 THE TELEGRAM.
This is a story set in America perhaps a hundred and fifty years ago.
Andy Grant was at a private school called Penhurst academy. He could have gone to an ordinary school but they did not teach Latin and Greek. Andy wanted to learn these and he hoped to do well in his exams and go to college. The fees were very expensive but his parents did not mind because he worked very hard and did very well.
When he was not studying, Andy used to go out in one of the school rowing boats. A coach came to teach them how to row properly. He was an expert rower himself and when he had been at Harvard University he had been in their rowing team.
Andy practised very hard and became very good at it.
When he went into the 5th year Andy was was given his own room. He had to study very hard now and there was not time to row.
One day a friend called Arthur Bacon came. "Here is a telegram for you," he said.
Now of course, in those days there were no computers and no e mail but it was possible to send a message along telegraph wires. If you wanted to send a telegram you went to the post office and they typed out your message on a special type writer. The message travelled as electricity along telegraph wires to another post office where another machine typed it out.
.
It was quite expensive to send a telegram as you paid so much per word. The telegram came in an envelope. If you received one you knew that it would be about something important and you would be almost frightened to open it because it might tell you that something had gone wrong.
"A telegram!" said Andy, in vague alarm. He hoped it was not bad news.
He tore open the envelope and read the few words of the message:
COME HOME AT ONCE STOP
SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED STOP
MOTHER
You may wonder what the word "STOP" meant. It simply meant that there should be a full stop. The printer did not print a full stop "." so the word "STOP" was sent instead.
"What can it be?" thought Andy, perplexed. "At any rate, mother is well,
for she sent the telegram."
"What is it?" asked Arthur.
"I don't know. You can read the telegram for yourself."
"I hope this does not mean you have to go home?" said Arthur.
"I am afraid I must," said Andy.
"But won't you come back again?"
"I don't know. I am all in the dark. I think something must have
happened to my father. First I must go and see Dr. Crab."
Dr. Crabb was at his desk in his library
Andy knocked at the door.
"Come in!" said the doctor, in a deep voice.
"What can I do for you?"
"Please give me permission to go home. I have just had a telegram. I will show it to you."
"Dear me!" he said. "How unfortunate! I hope there is nothing seriously wrong at home.
It is only two weeks to the end of the
term, and I know that you will do well in your exams.
I know that you have made a lot of friends and we will all miss you. There is a train at 3 o'clock this afternoon so you can take that."
"I am very sorry, sir; but perhaps I may be able to come back."
"I certainly hope that you will but write and tell me, even if you cannot come back.
"I will certainly write, doctor. Thank you for all your kindness."
It was fifty miles from Penhurst to Arden, where Andy's parents lived. At that time many trains did not travel very quickly and it took two hours to get there. He did not arrive until 5 o'clock.
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