Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-09-25
PRICE ONE CENT


Married His Friend az the other End AZ
ehe Wire when He Found He.Naa She.
Telegraph operators frequently make
warm friends with each other with no
other means Of communication than the
insensate wire, and more than once
friendships thus made have lasted for
years without either person having 80
much as had glimpse of the others
features. II is not often, however, that
a courtship is carried ON under such cir
cumstances, but a pretty little romance
comes from the desert which had for lis
sequel the recent registration at promt
nent hotel Of y. j. Stansbury and wife,
jackson Springs. Cal. The story is re-
peated by the Los Angeles Herald in the
words Of the hero himself
about year and half ago." said
he, i was railroad agent and telegraph
operator at little station down on the
desert side of Yuma. The station con.
sisted of nothing more than big water
tank, shed for myself and another fora
small crew of trackmen. There fol
nearly year put in the loneliest and
the hottest time that ever passed in my
Alt. Inc DttN a way va
monkeying around between 100 and 100
degrees above zero on most days, and
almost my only pleasure was found in
talking over the wires with the operators
at various stations along the line.
Il had never seen the operator at Ban-
ming at that time, but he was cheerful,
jolly sort of fellow, and, as time alsl
hung heavily upon his hands, we passed
many a pleasant hour In conversation
over the wires. We had sort of hal.
arranged to get vacation together, and
there was good deal of joyful anticipa-
tion--on my part at least--of the manner
in which we should pass it. We were 10
60 into the mountains and spend two or
three weeks in hunting, fishing, etc. ALI
Of our plans We're arranged in those
scorching and lonely days, and We
usually agreed in our ideas of the prepar-
ations, although there was occasionally
q little difference in opinion.
Il remember, for instance, that he said
he was going to take along pair of rub
Der boots for trout fishing, while asked
him: What's the matter with your
taking off your shoes and stockings and
rolling up your pantsP' But he said thai
he preferred boots. AS the time drew
near, however, he for some reason that
could not understand backed sQuarely
out of the enterprise, much TO my dis.
gust.
Finally, he told me one day that he
was going to New Mexico to pass his va
cation, and we anticipated considerable
In
the trains brief stop at my station. But
! did not meet him at all, for when the
train that bore him arrived was sick
and unconscious with a burning fever,
the result of my long stay under the tor.
rid sun.
Into the fever tortured brain there
sometimes creeps semi-consciousness OF
the life about it, and so during the days
of my agony was vaguely aware Of
gentle, womanly hands and kindly
feminine presence in my sick room, and
when l returned to the conscious world
was not SURPRISED to find fair and pleas.
ant face beside me. She said that she
had been upon the train when was
found stricken down, and had stayed to
minister to my sore need. The idea may
seem preposterous, but Ibelieve the foun-
dation of my affection for my kind at
tendant had been laid while the uncon-
seriousness of fever was still upon me,
and the affection grew into the deepest
love as she cared for me during the days
of my convalescence.
AFTER time ventured TO tell her OF
my love, and to ask her if she would be
mine; but / was not prepared for her
answer.
John, she said, do you really mean
that you wish to marry girl that insists
upon wearing rubber boots and will not
roll
@'Matp l said, for was completely
beaten. Then it flashed upon me. She
was the operator at Banning, and /, like
fool, had always taken it for granted
that she was man.
well, am not going TO tell how !
convinced her that / wanted TO marry
her, boots and all, but l did it, and, like
Barkis, she was within and here weare
on our wedding journey. The Southern
Pacific has lost an operator, but l calcu-
late that am ahead on the deal.