The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-18

URGENT DISPATCHES.
TWO TeLEGRAPHIc MESSAGES THAT
MEANT LIFE or DEATH.


Young Lovers just as One Was About
to Sail Away to Foreign Shore.
Telegraph operators who have sent dis
| patches of all kinds for years might be ex-
cused If they were to show no surprise az
any message that could be sent 1t is only
! natural that there should be a dreary
| routine il the work which banishes all de-
gree of excitement in anything. The writer
once met telegraph superintendent who
had handled an electric key in all parts Of
this country. He had stored in his mind q
fund of reminiscepces, and as the time
dragged heavily he ratified of story after
story.
1T was good many years ago" he said,
when / was not so old as | am now, and
perhaps more sentimental that | won a
husband for girl was an operator then
in town cut in Ohio. l hadn't much 70
do, aQd used to sit in the window good
deal to watch the people on the station
platform OF the railroad.
Zone day j caught sight of young man
and young woman who were in earnest
conversation. He was dressed for travel
ing, and was evidently waiting for the next
train. As the time for the arrival of the
train drew near the young man seemed to
become desperate, for he paced up and
down the platform nervously. talking very
rapidly.
Then the train came gliding in. saw
the girl shake her head and be said some
thing which made her turn Spale. The
train had again started, and he climbed up
the car steps without turning to look back.
She gave little cry. but he did not hear
it; his train was gone
"A MARROW MARGIN.
at was two days after this that the
young woman came into the telegraph Of
fee, with a white fsceSand red tinged eye
lids. She came TO me and spoke rapidly in
frightened whlsper.
az want you 20 send a telegram she
said. You must send it right away It's
TO New York. and itmust be delivered De-
fore a O'clock this afternoon
"She was trying to write. but her fingers
trembled so that she could not guide the
pencil
"'Leb me writeit,,I said
2" oh. thank you. sSshe answered, and
then she gave me the address There were
just two words in the message, Come
back
"'CRn you get it there before o'cloekP
she asked. breathlessly. You must. He
willleave his hotel then TO catch u steam.
err Her voice faltered here
" I'm afraid not, said. The difference
in tine,y you know, makes it hard work TO
do that
".Oh,' she cried, i forgot about the diff
ference in time What shall doY'
Send two ] said all the while work
ing on my keyto get my wire. Send one
to the hotel and one to the steamer
She was crying now so that / could not
hear her answer, but / knew what she
wanted. ] never worked so hard before or
since to get messages through. And all
the while that poor girl watched my I'm
gers with a look in her eyes that made me
swear I'd get them through If quick work
could do it.
JUST IN TINE.
"Wheu turned around tinally she drew
long breath.
well said, they are gone and I
looked at the clock. This made her SILVER.
"She would not leave the office, and az
the minutes slipped away began to feel
the dread that was reflected in her eyes.
knew that the steamer must have started
now. felt as if had committed murder,
but she was silent and pale. Only her
look was reproachful, as ii l had failed her.
Finally it came. There was a click and
a fash Of color was ia her cheek.
"'What is itP she said. 'Quicki What
Is itp
Its for your shouted, like the boy
that / was; 'hurrahl he's coming for |
was SO excited that forgot TO give her the
mess &c.
sau m vyrota II ant for bor. sTtr, rn-,,
ing, God bless you l was on the steamer
She cried over that bit of yellow paper. and
| think that the bulking country boy who
gave it TO her had choking in the throat
too.
We'll, there was n wedding a short while
after that The only one | knew in ths
party was the bride. You know bow ! met
her. But the country operator was at that
wedding, aud when The bridegroom grasped
my hand he shook it in a way that hurt
He sent me letter from the east after
ward asking NE to come Cd 70 20 into
big telegraph Office where he had secured a
place for me"
Il had another experience in sending in
my younger days in which got greatly in
tsrcsted,faIt was after wenteast- part
ly broke down and got transferred for Que
snmmer,to a Watering place.
CTPBRR TKiEcHBHs
"One day a dignified. we'll dressed man
Of middle age came hurriedIy into the
fee.
Send this at once be said n strained
tone.
II reached for nav kew, and as clicked
away 10 get New York ] Watched him. His
teeth were ground together, and has fingers
eIerchsd the rail 50 herceIy that they were
absolutely siesdless.
Get II, re said between bis teeth Get
it there or am ruined
Then ! saw that bis dispatch was ia
cipher. and rezen bered that that morn
inz had received one IN cipher
when ] had seat The last word be be-
came dsathly Waite and, iesbed against the
Wall fa5ltly, tanning himself with MS hat.
/ nave never seen sueh an intense lsok -
seemed 20 have strength enough only 70
look at his WATCH every minute or ts9.
His answer came hack IN cipher. Re
bra1sd himself before Feadisg *.
Thank GodP be said IN fow voice.
and the nsxtthing I knew felt bail IN
ny hand. Before could cry ont % biua
that l would not take bis money. be was
gone
u sftsrward learned that he vAs also al
opeystor-o.s Of the hezviest operator. ga
Wall street. often think arc d. ny hay
ing saved a riliioazise from ruin Kew
York Trib2Re
CsnpIissnt Spelled.