The Red Cloud chief., 1898-07-29

This may all seem enlgmatical to the
reader. but will assume an aspect OF
entire plausibility in the light of the
fact that she and I were telegraph OPP
orators at widely-separated stations on
a western railway. She knew as little
OF the young man with whom she dai-
ly chatted as | did Of herself. We had
each drawn an ideal picture of the per-
sonal appearance OF the other. and In
our frequent conversations over the
wire. each had in mind a face and fg-
ure to whom the remarks were adj
dressed. | had pictured her as a
bright-eyed, laughing. jolly little crea-
ture. with golden curls and silvery
voice. l often wondered what sort OF
a mortal picture she had drawn Of my
self.
Red Rock, where I vas located. was
a station on the Santa Fe railway, In
the Cherokeen strip of Oklahoma. be-
fore that now famous stretch of land
was purchased by the government from
the Indians and thrown open for set
Element. The population OF the town
CD consisted Of a burly section fore
man. OF Milesian extraction; his wife,
a red-faced. 'red-armed woman, who
had no aspirations outside the limits
OF her not over-clean kitchen: four
section laborers. and myself. the agent
and operator for the railway company.
The country was. at the time of which
! write, a wild one, inhabited only by
| InGfans a fatay cattIan,an vyhA lnaon1
grazing lands from the aboriginal own
ers, the cowboys who looked after the
scattered herds. and rowing bands Of
desperadoes under the leadership of the
Dalton brothers, the most famous of
whom, Bill Dalton, was %punctured by a
well-directed bullet from the rifle Of a
deputy United States marshal but a
few days ago, and who died with pistol
In hand cursing the shot which had
laid him low.
Miss Rankin was my predecessor In
the position Of agent and operator at
Red Rock. She learnt the art OF tel
egraphy in the train dispatcher's office
at Arkansas City, where her widowed
mother resided, and when competent
to assume charge Of a small station,
had asked for and been given a posi-
ton at Red Rock. She tired, OF a
while, of the lonely monotony Of that
obscure station. and asked to be sent
to one less isolated from mankind; and
when one day the operator at Ed
mond, further down the line. reported
that his fingers mad been 'pinched'
while en%deavoring to couple two cars
together, and that he must hasten to
Arkansas City for surgical attention,
the Red Rock agent was telegraphed
instructions to lock up her depot, leave
the key in the care Of the section fore
man. and proceed on a train then al
most due to Edmond, and assume
charge until the injured agent should
return. l was at the time an extra
operator" on a Kansas division, and
on the afternoon of the day on which
Miss Rankin left Red Rock, l found
myself sitting In her recently vacated
chair for an indefinite stay at the lone
ly station.
My frs: train report had scarce an
nounced my presence to the operators
up and down the line, ere Edmond
called me up. She expressed regret
that she had been denied the privi-
lege of extending to me a personal wei.
come to my new home, said she hoped
| would find the station a pleasant one
and asked me IL | would not kindly
collect a number OF feminine trifes
which she had overlooked in packing
her trunk. and then send them down
to her. She would be ever so much
obliged, and should an opportunity pre-.
sent itself, would certainly reciprocats
my kindness. That was my first
meeting with a lady who was soor
destined to play a heroic Part in d
thrilling adventure in which | was 9
prominent figure.
Little by little Miss Rankin and my,
self became acquainted over the wire
We we're soon holding daily converse,
tions. then semi-daily, and Their oul
chats became so frequent that at time.
jealous operators at other station!
would break In on our conversation
with hints that some one was mash
ed on ONT one else, and that we ha,
better give the suffering wire a res
and do our spooning by mail. To thes,
ungentlemanly interruptions We pail
but little attention. but continued on
long-distance Intercourse, as l be
fore remarked. falling more hopelessl.
in love with my new friend as the day
sped by, and often wondering IL a reel
} predatory feeling was not growing II
} warmth at the other end OF the wire
| was a young man of but 90. Yer.
susceptible to female charms, and q
| was then denied even a look at
pretty face. aside from fleeting glimps
| es Of female passengers on passin
trains. ! came to regard Miss Rankil
r as my best girl" and her persona
4 telegraphic signal. "Cr," became tn
5 sweetest sound my instrument clicke
into my ears.
Modesty, coupled with a fear of be
ing "guyed," had prevented me fror
S questioning the train men regardin
y the personal appearance OF my manor
alta, but one day when | had order