Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-09-28
THE TELEPHONE DID 1T.
Sister and Brother Parted Twenty Years
Strangely Brought Together.

sister anu BrOEn0r IArhou u 0OAeI Ao"Ao
Strangely Brought Together.
CHICAGO, September 27.-Only fools
believe that the age OF romance is dead.
A brother and sister who had not seen
each other for twenty-five years were
reunited this week through the agency
Of the telephone.
Twenty-Five years ago the Wheelers
lived in Canada, happy and contented
family. There were the father and
mother and two children, William and
Helen. Mrs. Wheeler died, and her
husband, after time married second
wife. The second Mrs. Wheeler and
the children were not congenial, and
the boy, William w. Wheeler, left his
home and struck out for himself. In
quiries for him came to nothing, and
the boy drifted out Of the remembrance
of all his relatives but one.
His sister Helen never forgot him
and never ceased to love him. Five
years later it seemed best for her also
to look out for herself and to leave the
home of her childhood. This she did,
and for time lived with friends in
Canada. Six years ago she reached Chi
cagO and became a contented inmate OF
the home of William d. KerfoOt, the
wealthy real estate man and Worlds
Fair director.
One week ago last Sunday afternoon
Miss Wheeler was idling away the time
at Mr.. Kerfoot's home, and, entirely by
chance, her hand rested upon the tele-
phone book which lay upon table at
her side. She opened the book and
carelessly looked over the list OF names.
After time curiosity tempted her to
look at the telephone subscribers who
bore her own name. She listleSsly
turned the pages until she came to the
Wheelers, and her attention was rivited
upon the following lines:
5,O94-Wheeler, w. W., rock, as
phalt and cement payer, lib South
Clinton street.
1t was her brothers name! She
started at the sight Of the familiar In
itials, and then laughed at her own
foolishnoss. This man couldn't be her
brother. Meetings like this were not
possible outside of novels. But the
name brought memories, and she sat
with the open telephone book in her
lap aud thought of the old home in Can
ada and their childhood days. w. w.
Wheeler, telephone 1904! 81 will call
that man up tomorrow" she said. She
was up early Monday morning and
moving impatiently about the house.
When she thought it was time for a
business man to be in his Office she rang
and called up 5,094.
"Hellow
"Hello."
'Is that Mr.. Wheeler"
eyes"
"Did you ever live in Canada?"
eyes. A good many years ago"
"What was your fathers name?"
He gave 1t, and in response to a SINH
lar question about his mother gave her
name. Then there was pause, and
presently voice trembling with emotion
was heard over the wire:
"Did you have sister named HelenP"
Quick as a flash the answer came back:
eyes! My Cod Are you Helen?"
~ am Helen"
Mr.. Wheeler flung down the receiver
after learning her address and jumped
for his hat. Running to his buggy,
which stood just outside the door, he
leaped into it and dashed the horse into
a galiop. People who saw him thought
that he was crazy. He stood upright,
fogging the animal with mad blows.
In just twenty minutes after he had
been rung up on the telephone he was
at Mr.. Kerfoot's door and his sister
Helen was in his arms. He could hard
ly wait for satisfactory arrangements to
be made. Twenty-Five years is long
time, and brother and sister had much
to say to each other. But in few
hours he took her home with him to
live and the grief Of the past separation
was forgotten in the JOY of the present
meeting. Miss Wheeler has lived here
six years and her brother seven, but
neither had ever suspected the presence
OF the other.