The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-08-02

Love at Long Range
; Sentiment and Telegraphy-Dots :
\ and Lines That We're Full {
of Feeling.


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 ex-
cited the admiration of the chiefs i'll
their respective Offices. O'Meara was
handsome and intelligent young Irish
man, with Jet black hair and mustacho
and great soulful blue eyes-one of the
kind of men who seem almost uncon-
sciously to possess the power of fascina-
ton over women.
After having worked the wire to-
gether for few months O'Meara and
Miss Davidson became well acquainted,
although. Of course, neither had ever
seen the other. They had abundant OPP
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 il Il 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 he
come conscious of n 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 trausmitter in
New York There IL ns much that IL
distinctly characteristic in the manner
in which telegraphers form the dots
and dashes ms there is in the manifold
forms of chirography.
One morning Amy complained of
feeling i'll. Il am afraid, >" ehe said.
"'that will hive to give up and 90
home. / would do so surely if ] could
afford to lose the time. My head aches
drcadfully. Dear me What would my
mother and sister do if / should become
real sick. They have nobody TO take
care of them but me. =
There was tremulouness in the dots
and dashes, which plainly inhieated to
O Meara that the girl. n thousand miles
away. was weeping softly. as indeed
she was, with her head resting YEARLY
against the resonator containing the
sounder. He replied:
"Try to stick it ont 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 CT endearment in their inter
course, and sho was much affected.
But she frightened upa little and man
aged to struggle through the day 3
work
Next morning O'Meara found a
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 a woman he had
never seen. He became go fretful and
irritable az to excite comment among
the others in the Office.
"What on earth is the matter with
O'MearaP 2" asked one of the operators
ON the opposite side OF the quad" Of
the man who sat at the next instru-
ment.
II 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 in
quiry as to Miss Davidson $ condition
contained but one word-"Dead. -
O'Meara uttered a 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
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.
"If you'd just as lief give me anoth-
er wire. I'd rather have it, !" OMeara
said. 81 don't think I 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, 20 Meara replied sadly,
but / had fine operator to work
with.
"Well. said the chief. chats fine
operator there yet-the same one, bo-
lieve, that was there before .
"That cannot be-for she is dead. "
This with great sob.
81 think you had better return to the
cid wire for the present at least. the
chief said. "Then if You are not salts
fed 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 dearly loved and familiar sound
his heart almost stopped beating &c
overwhelming was the surge Of emo
tion. He listened for a moment until
at the beginning OF another message
came the signal Of the sending oper-
ator, "a. D."
"Who in heavens name IL there in
Chicago" he almost shouted. "that
dares to sign "A. ID. z -
"Amy Davidson. Of course. was his
friend reply.
Don't trifle with me-" O'Meara
cried. Amy Davidson Is dead. "
mot by long shot, J." said the oper-
ator. making way for O'Meara. ut
was only rumor that some chuckle
headed ass accepted az fact. She has
been back at work for two weeks or
more. From the manner in which she
has inquired abont you every day l
should imagine that che takes an inter