Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1899-09-02
LOVE AT LONG RANGE.

| Charles O'Meara was an operator in
New York on one side of a 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
| chiefs in their respective offices.
O'Meara was handsome and iutelli-
gent young Irishman, with jet black
hair and inustache. and great soulful
blue eyes-one of the kind of men
who seem almost unconsciously to
possess the power of fascination over
women.
After having worked the wire to-
gether for few months. OMeara and
Miss Davidson became well acquaiB:-
ed although. of course. neither had
ever seen the other They had abund-
ant opportunities for converse ton 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 n sort of telepathy in teIe-
graphy. 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
| become conscious of tender regard
for the other. O'Meara could recog-
nize in an instant the touch of a
strange hand the key in Chicago,
and Miss Davidson was as quickly con-
scious of the change when any other
than O'Mearas hand manipulated the
transmitter in New York. There is
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. Il afraid she said,
''that / will have to give up and go
home. / would do surely if | could
afford to lose the time. My head
aches dreadfully. Dear mel What
would. my mother and sister do if L
should become really sick. They have
nobody to take care of them but me-"
There was a troubulousness in the
dots and dashes which plainly indi-
Gated 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:
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 of endearment in their in
tercourse, and she was much affected.
But she frightened up a little, and
managed to struggle through the
days work.
Next morning O'Meara found a
strange operator at the Chicago end of
tie wire. and when he inquired for
Miss Davidson was told that she was
very ill., The poor fellow realized now,
if he had never before. that he was
deeply in love with a 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 that 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's condition
contained but one word-"Dead.''
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 severe attack of brain
fever. When at last he had recovered
and returned to the office to report
y
usual seat at the Chicago quadruplex.
IF you'd just lief give me an
other wire I'd rather have it," O'Meara
said. Il don't think / care to work
with Chicago any more
There was a twinkle in the eye of
the chief he said:
You used to do some fine work on
that Chicago wire
perhaps So O'Meara replied, sad
ly, but L had fine operator to work
with
"Well," said the chief. that's fine
operator there yet-tbe same one, 1
believe, that was there before
That cannot be-for she is dead.'
This with a great sob.
Il think You had better return to
the old wire. fer the present at least"
the chief said. Then If you are nc
satisfied / 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 mes
sages from Chicago. As he neared the
instrument and heard the characters
coming with a dearly loved and famil-
lar sound. his heart almost stopped
beating. SO overwhelming was the
surge of emotion He listened a mo-.
ment until at the beginning of an
other message. came the signal of the
sending operator, "a d.
who in heavens name Is there in
Chicago" he almost shouted. that
dares to sign a d.. ?'''