Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-12-22

empiOyeu 10 behQ message 10
Fort Worth, Texas, The message
was very brief, and the young lady
took it and transmitted ii to its desti
nation. The operator at Fort Worth
who received it also had a history.
He was young man, whose father
was Virginia stakeholder and a
Colonel in the rebel army. His name
was Allingham, and he was killed
during the war, leaving a widow and
a young son. The circumstances in
which they were left we're almost
identical with those in which theNew
Brunswick paper-box manufacturer
left his widow and only daughter
young Allingham, whose name is
Henry H by peculiar coincidence
chose telegraphy as Miss 0dell had
chosen it, more from necessity than
inclination He received the mes
sage which was sent by the young
lady from st. John, and something in
the mechanics Of its transmission
known probably to telegraphers--
attracted his attention. He telegraphed
back to know who was sending it.
The answer was returned: "A
young lady" With the natu-
raj gallantry Of the clfivalrous
Southron, young Allingham replied !:
You send we'll. Not to be outdone,
Miss Odell replied: And SO do yoa."
From this simple interchange Of com.
pliments great fruits we're borne. Nat.
urally, and just as two persons would
fall into conversation in a parlor
after an introduction, the St. John
young lady aud the Fort Worth young
man fell into a conversation over the
wires. They described the places
where they lived, they told who they
were, and many other things In time
the wire from Fort Worth, it was no.
ticed,was pretty much always "hitched
on to the wire from st. John, when
the Texas operator had nothing else
to do. In like manner it was observed
the ST. John young lady was talking
very frequently with the Other end.
almost, Of the antipodes This thing,
after several months became alarm
ingly frequent The Fort Worth
young man called on the young lady
in st. John before breakfast (by wire)
de called her up at midday to
take lunch with him (by wire),
and in the evening he sat on the ssfa
with her, clssping her fair form with
his sturdy right arm and pressing her
heaving bosom against his starched
shirt front lby wire). He went to the
theater with her (by Wire) and finally,
and as a matter Of course, he babe
her good night at IL O'Clock every
evening (by wire). These devoted at
tentions possessed the advantage, at
least, OF being prompt, and one may be-
lieve it or not-the sequel proves its
truth the st. John damsel and TIE
Fort Wayne youth fell in love (by
wire), 1t was in the nature Of the
case that photographs should be ex
changed with dispatch" Here the
FAR separated couple weressobliged to
waive the use Of the wire and employ
the mails. The letters which accom-,
panied the interchange ofphotographs
were the only ones which the pair
ever wrote to each other. They &C
knowledged the receipt by wire, and
for some months after their love rips
pied along over the wire and made
thu existence felt in the case of the
young man when the ticker sounded
Fort Worth" and in that of the
young lady when the ticker in her
office said "St. John" AS easily as
though it we're done in the parlor Of
her mothers home, Miss 0dell last
September received what she had long
expected and longed for. Over the
wire from young Allingham came the
question: win you be miner" An.
swer was returned in the Affirmative
BY wire, and the happy day was set for
November 26 Mrs. 0dell and Mrs
Allingham gave their consent TO the
union, but the great question was as to
how the couple should meet. A dis.
lance OF several thousand miles sepa-
rated them. The bride expectant was
almost at one end Of the North Amer
lean Continent and the groom pros
pective at the other. Several mes.
sages passed by wire as to where the
wedding should take place, and as
Mrs. Odell could not travel 10 Texas
it was 6nally agreed to split
the distance and meet at a point
midway. The point selected was
Chicago, and on the Oath Of November
a motheIiy old lady and q bright, vi
vacious little girl with brown eyes and
wavy golden hair appeared ct the
Briggs House and registered as MRS
Qdell apd daughter, st. John" On
the 26th-ihe day appointed for the
meetlDg--a good looking youDg man
with sun Drowned face and an easy
carriage, registered in the running
hand OF the telegraph operator, ri.
ii Allingham, Fort Worth" and in.
CURED for Mrs. Odell and daughter
be was shown 10 their room, and the
bell boy who led the way tells Of the
meeting between the young couple
who had never met, but we're soon 10
be man and wife. The young lady
bad been anxious and impatient ali
day, and as the brown faced young
man entered Mrs. 0dell's room, the
young lady, radiant and loving, ran
forward 10 meet him.
"HarrylN
"Minnieln
IL should have known you in a
minute by your picture"
Aud you"
Then, said the boy, "she jumped
IN his arms and he gave Der hug ike
bear, and the door closed and | had to
go down stairs without seeing the
fun" A few hours after, when the
osculatory matinee had ended and the
bride elect had smoothed the groom
elects hair a dozen or two times and
said he was her darling ducky and she
would always love him, Mr.. FanninR.
one Of the proprietore, was summoned
to tho room Mrs. Odell told him the
romantic story Of tho oouple's love
while the said couple sat billing
and cooling aud sampling each others
lips mot by wire), and asked his per-
mission to have a wedding. Colonel
Tanning readily consented, and In a
few minutes Rev. Mr.. Barrows, a
Presbyterian clergyman, was sum.
moned. All the arrangements were
completed, Cook county license pro.
cured, the ring purchased, aud In Mr..
fannings own room, with Mr. and
Mrs. Upman, Mr.. and Mrs. flaming
and Mrs Odell as witnesses, the young
lady from ~ John and the young
gentleman from Fort Worth we're
made one, and the secret 10 the 70. |
nance ended. The proprietor Of the
hotel gave the party a quiet little din.
ner, and yesterday Mr.. Allineham
took his wife 10 Fort Worth, and Mrs.
Odell returned alone to 81. John.
Alexander Dumas contributes 10
the Curieux an.anecdote told him by |
the late Henri Didior, who was I