The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-10
Love Tale Told by the Wires.


It was little railway station far
back in the country, but less than 200
miles from New York, where two roads
crossed each other. Barring the click Of
the telegraph instrument in the little
coop Of an Office, not a sound could be
heard to break the unusual quietness of
the summer day, which was justdying
into dusk. The three passengers who
had changed cars and were waiting
for their respective trains whiled sway
the time as best they could. Two of them
had their thoughts buried in novels.
The third found recreation in what the
clattering lips of the electric sounder had
to say. 1t had been long time since he
had listened to the tattle of a telegraph
wire, and the familiar sound fascin-
ated him, He heard distant stations
report the passing of trains and en-
ployees and officials communicate with
each other. The pretty young woman
who occupied the little coop was busi-
ly at work writing. She paid no at
tention to the instrument. On the
third finger of her left hand she wore
a modest little gold ring, set with q
small diamond.
Finally the sounder stopped its ever
lasting clatter. The quietness was be-
ginning to get oppressive, when the
old-time operators rusty ears heard
the sounder click out the letters "Pf''
twice and "Mn" once. He saw a smile
creep over the face of the young wo-
man, and then heard her click back.
''Ii." 1t was the operator at M
calling her, and she was answering
him.
"Ground minute" was flashed
back over the wire.
The old-timer pricked up his ears
instantly. He knew that the opera
tor at M-had something to say
which be did not want his chief at
the other end of the wire beyond P
to hear. So he had asked the young
woman to ground the wire and send
his secret into the earth after it had
reached her ears. ..
"lll be over on No. Z. 10" chartered
chattered the soundsr.
"I'll expect you," she ticked back.
"Good-by; don't forget to take
ground off," 10 answsred. .
"Ii," the young woman replied,
which siguifed that she would not
forget. ..>...,- -. .-
Then the sounder began to rattle
with the business of the road again
while the woman busted herself with
putting away her work and preparing
for the reception of favored visitor.
She glanced at the clock frequently
and anxiously. -.
"Os. .os, os." finally rapidly ratified
the sounder to attract the attention OF
the chief, mo. on time, Mo-"
The young woman smiled and set
tied herself beside her instrument to
repeat "Mn's' report for him if the
chief should accidentally have let it
slip by. She always did this for the
young man who had given the ring to
her, as he reported the train just as
it pulled out of his station and then
caught it on the fly.
Promptly on time the engineer Of
No. whistled for the crossing at P.
The three passengers gathered up their
traps and went out upon the platform.
The young woman stood just within
the doorway. The train pulled slowly
into the station. The conductor jumped
off quickly. he had sad expression
upon his face. He led the young wo-
man into her little office, while the
train hands lifted covered stretcher
out Of the baggage car and carried it
in to the waiting room of the little
station. The conductor hurried out
and gave the signal to the engineer
and the train pulled away, leaving
two train hands behind with the
stretcher.
"'They were to have been married
next ,uouth H." the conductor said to tie
old-timer. "He waited to report US out,
aud in attempting to board the train
slipped under the wheels, poor fel-
loTs.' re-
4 year later the cld-tiner had >occa-
sion to stop at the same little station
again. There was strange face in the
little telegraph coop. The young wo-
man had died Of ofconsumption, the new
operator said. The conductor c. No.
attributed her death to broken heart.
Faith is an afectionate confidence in
personal being.-Mark Hopkins
D. d.