Smyrna times., 1899-08-16


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 ex-
cited the admiration of the chiefs 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 for a few months O'Meara and
Miss Davidson became well acquainted
although, Of course neither had ever
seen the other. They had abundant op-
pOrtunity for conversation in the early
morning before the rush of business for
the day began and in the late afternoon
when the rush was over.
There is a 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 a 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
sen was as quickly conscious of the
change when any other than O'Meara $
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 ill. Il am afraid, ," she said,
THAT will have to give up and 90
home. / would do so surely if ] could
afford to lose the time. My head aches
dreadfully. Dear me What would my
mother and sister do if l should become
real sick. They have nobody to take
care of them but me-"
There was tremulouness 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 wearily
against the resonator containing the
sounder He replied:
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"
1t was the first time he had used any
term cf endearment in their inter
course. and she was much affected
But she frightened up a little nd man
aged to struggle through the days
work.
Next morning O'Meara found
strange operator at the Chicago end of
the wire. and when he inquired for
Miss Davidson was told that she was
very i'll. The poor fellow realized now,
if he never had before, that he was
deeply in love with woman he had
never seen. He became so fretful and
irritable as to excite comment among
the others in the office.
"What on earth is the matter with
O'Meara ?" asked one of the operators
on the opposite side of the "quad" of
the man who sat at the next instru-
ment.
Il guess he's in love with the Chi
cagO girl who is sick, was the reply.
One morning the answer made by
the Chicago operator to O'Meara's s in
quiry as to Miss Davidson's condition
contained but one word-''Dead.
OMeara 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 a severe attack of brain fever.
When at last he had recovered and re-
turned to the Office to report for duty,
the chief told him to take his usual
seat at the Chicago quadruplex.
eff you d just as lief, give me anoth-
er wire, I'd rather have it," O'Meara
said. 81 don't think 1 care to work
with Chicago any more"
There was 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 l had fine operator to work
with"
"Well, " said the chief, "that's fine
operator there yet-the same one, l be-
lieve, that was there before.
''That cannot .be-for she is dead"
This with a great sob.
81 think you had better return to the
old wire for the present at least. the
chief said. '"Then if you are not salts
fed l 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 a dearly loved and familiar sound
his heart almost stopped beating so
overwhelming was the surge of emo
tion. He listened for moment until
at the beginning of another message