The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-03-14

DiS"so was MISS amy D3'lusoi
Both were expert, and the mfnner i
which they kept their message hook
clear excited the admiration OF thej
chiefs Ia their respective oilicH'
OMeara was handsome and intelli
gent young Irishman, with JET blac
hair and m haShc and lkrear, soulfu
blue eyes, the kInu of men VIII
seem aim I6consci!2hsIy to posses
the powek fascinatIu over women
After having worSsd the wire to
Rether few months O'Meara an
Miss Davidson became well 5>auuainted
although, Of course, neither mad we
seen the other They had abundan
opportunities lor conversation in tn,
early morning before the aush of busi
ness OF Tue Iay uegan and in the lat
afternoon when the rush was over
There ts sort OF tclepathy ia tele
graphy, as all telegraphers admit. an,
their certainly "Ias in this case. L,nt
before any wGrd OF love had passed be
'"een Ihetn each had become cunsciou,
M '.ender regard for the other
4" 5ara could recognize in an instant
kil1S touch OF strange hand on the ke,
~ln chicago, and Miss Davidson was a:
quickly conscious of the change when
any other than O'Mearas hanI marin
ulated the trausmitter in Ne York,
inore is as much that is o,stlL Sly
characteristic in the manner in which
telegraphers form the do and dashes
as there Is in the manifold forms of
chirography.
One morning Amy complained OF
feeling Ill. 81 am afraid" she said.
That will have to give up and 20
nome. | would do so surely II could
afford to lose the time. My head aches
dreadfuily. Dear me What would
Tpy nd ~ - ~ 10 I
come really sick They have no one
to take care Of them but me-
There WAS q tremulousness iu the
dots and dashes which plainly indi-
Gated to OMeara that the girl, thou
sand miles away, was weeping softly,
rs indeed she was, with her hand rest
ing wearily Against the resonator con.
tanning the sounder. He replied
Try 20 stick it out to-day, dear.
We wi-ftake it easy, and perhaps you
Will Ieel better by tomorrow. At any
rats, don't worry
1T was the first time he had used any
term of endearment in their inter.
: course, and she was very 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
the wire, and when he inquired for Miss
Davidson he was told that she was
very i'll. The poor fellow realized now,
IL he never had before, that he was
deeply in love with woman he had
never seen. He became SO fretfui and
irritable as to excite comment among
the others In the office.
What on earth is the matter with
OMeara ~ asked one Of the operators
on the opposite side OF the quad of
the man who sat at the next instru
ment.
| guess he's in love with that
Chicago girl who is sick" was the
reply.
One morning the answer made by
the Chicago operator to O 'Meara's ia.
quiry as to Miss Davidson's condition
contained but one word" Dead ~
O'Meara uttero d q 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 bioodshot. 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 returned 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 another
wire, ia rather have it," O'Meara
said. 81 don't think I care to work
with Chicago any MORE"
There was g. twinkle In the eve of
the chief rs he said
"You used to do some ii ne work on
that Chicago wire"
"Perhaps So" O'Meara replied
sadly, but I had fine operator to
work with"
WE'LL" said the chief, "that's a
fine operator there yet-tke same one,
believe, that was there before"
Thai cannot be-ior she is dead -
This with great sob.
think :,ou had better return to
the old wire, for the present at least"
the chief said. Then, II YOU are rot
satisfied, will transfer you to some
other circuit
O'Meara walked slowly Over to his
old place to relieve the man who was
at that moment r, ceiving some mes
sages from Chicago. AS he neared the
instrument and heard the characters
coming with dearly low ed and fami
liar sound his heart almost stopped
beating 80 overwhelming was the surge
OF emotion. He listened moment
until at the beginning OF another mes.
cage came the signal of the sending
operator, "a. D."
Chicago" he almost shoutel, "that
dares TO sign "A D.?'"
Amy Davidson, Of course" was his
friends reply.
Don't trihe with me-" O'Meara
cried. Amy Davidson is dead r'
mot by long shot," said the opera.
tor, making way for O'Meara. {" 1t
was only rumOr that some chuckle lie
headed ass accepted as fact. She b as
been back at work for two weeks or
more. From the manner in which
she has inquired about you every day
| should imagine that she takes an in.
terest In you"
When he sat down before the in.
strument, his hand trembled 80 that
he could scarcely form the dots and
dashes to ask
Is that really you, Amy ?" He
gave his own signal, 80. M"
Yes, Charlie, ard I'm 80 glad you
are well again. Her reply was az
auttering as his question had beer
tremulous.
Some OF the operators In the New
York Office wondered at seeing younl
man citing at an instrument with
tears OF JOY streaming down his face
while In the CIo. * . Office there wa
surprise because girl was crying ant
smiling at the same slime.
H. l. H..