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Dark Tales Sleuth

The Telegram

The latest Austin Philips story is up: "The Telegram", from the July 1909 issue of the Strand Magazine.

Florence Earle is a naive young telegraph operator, who may just be making a big mistake.

"The Telegram" is a crime story, though not a detective story. It is, however, a Post Office story, as in the UK the Post Office took over all the telegraph services in 1870, from the private companies that had previously run them. It's a quiet little tale with a cute twist, where the suspense comes primarily from watching someone about to do something very foolish, with no one around to stop them.

Enjoy.