Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-16
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{ Love al Long Range !
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Charles O'Meara was an operator in
New York on one side of quadru-
picked wire running to Chicago. The
operator on the corresponding side in
Chicago was Miss Amy Davidson. Both
were expert, and the manner in which
they kept their message hooks clear
excited the admiration of the chief in
their respective Offices O'Meara was a
handsome and intelligent young Irish
man, with jet black hair and mustache
and great, soulful blue eyes one of the
kind of men who seem almost uncon-
sciously to possess the power Of fascina-
tion over women.
After having worked the wire to-
gether few months o 'Meara and Miss
Davidson became well acquainted, al
though, of course, neither had ever seen
the other. They had abundant oppor-
tunities for conversation in the early
morning before the rush Of business for
the day began and in the late after
noon when the rush was over.
There is sort Of telepathy in tel
egraphy, as all telegraphers admit, and
there certainly was in this case. Long
before any word of love had passed over
the wire between them each had be-
come conscious Of tender regard for
the other. O'Meara could recognize in
an instant the touch Of strange hand
on the key in Chicago, and Miss David
son was as. quickly conscious Of the
change when any other than o Meara Is
hand manipulated the transmitter in
New York There is as much that is
distinctly characteristic in the manner
in which telegraphers form the dots
and dashes as there is in the manifold
forms of chirography.
One morning Amy complained Of
feeling i'll. 81 am afraid" she said,
"that I will have to give up and go
home I would do so surely if could
afford to lose the time. Ny head aches
dreadfully. Dear mel What would my
mother and sister do if should become
really sicks They have nobody to take
care Of them but me.
There was tremulousness in the dots
and dashes which plainly indicated to
O'Meara that the girl, a thousand miles
away, was weeping softly, as indeed she
WAS, with her head resting YEARLY
against the resonator containing the
sounder. He replied: X
'"Try TO stick it out today, dear.
We will take it easy, and perhaps you
will feel better by tomorrow. At any
rate, don't worry. . ),
It was the first time he had used any
term Of endearment in their inter
course. and she was much affected. But
she frightened up little and managed
to struggle through the days work.
Next morning O'Meara found a
strange operator at the Chicago end Of
the wire. and when he inquired for
Miss Davidson he was told that she was
very ill. The poor fellow realized now,
If he never had before, that he was
deeply in love with woman he had
never seen. He became 80 fretful and
irritable as to excite comment among
the others in the Office.
What on earth is the matter with
O. Mearaf" asked one of the operators
on the opposite side Of the quad" Of
the man who sat at the next instrur-
ment. &. Is
II guess he's in love with that Chi
cago girl who is sick, :" was the reply.
One morning the answer made by the
Chicago operator to O'Meara's inquiry
as to Miss Davidson's condition con.
tanned but one word-s'Deadl''
O'Meara uttered kind of moan, and
his head fell upon his desk. When one
of the chiefs aroused him, he found the
young mans face flushed and his eyes
bloodshot O'Meara was sent home,
where he remained for weeks suffering
from q severe attack of brain fever.
When at last he had recovered and re-
turned to the Office to report for duty,
tho chief told him to take his usual seat
at the Chicago quadruplex.
IF you'd just as lief give me another
wire, I'd rather have it," O'Meara
said. 81 don't think I care to work
with Chicago any more
There was q twinkle In the eye Of
the chief as he said:-
"You used to do some fine work on
that Chicago wire. /"
Perhaps So" O'Meara replied sadly,
''but I had fine operator to work
with"
"Well. said the chief, "that's fine
operator there yet-th same one. be-
lieve, that was there before"
"That cannot be-for she is deadl'
This with great sob.
II think you had better return to the
old wire, for the present at least, . the
chief said. "Then, if you are not satis-
fed, I will transfer you to some other
circuit"
O'Meara walked slowly over to his
old place to relieve the man who was at
the moment receiving some messages
from Chicago. As he neared the instru-
ment and heard the characters coming
with q dearly loved and familiar sound
his heart almost stopped beating SO
overwhelming was the surge Of emo
ton. He listened moment until at the
beginning Of another message came the
signal Of the sending operator, IA. D. +"
'Who, in heavens name, is there in
Chicago" he almost shouted. 'sthat
dares to sign "A. D.
"Amy Davidson, Of course" was