Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-25

COURTsHIp BY WIRE.


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! have often been asked whether we
telegraph operators in busy offices ara
able 10 pay alt,enSon 10 the sense Of
the messages which we are all day re-
ceNlng and dlspachlng, or wheeler
(as Is said TO be the case with copying
clerks we fail in the habit otper0rm-
ing II Nike machines, without any con-
sc,Jus apprehension Of the meaning
OF the words which wetrnnsmt. Speak
ing Tor myelf, and TO. those OF my tel
.vw operators with whom | hive dis
cussea The matter should ny that III
ways the truth lies in the la.ter alter-
nutlve.
Sometimes, however, one IL able TO
read between the lines ofmessagesless
Interesting than mere business dis
patches, Any number Of amntory tee.
Rrums are sure 20 pass through your
hands, Most of them (as ] have al
ready salO viii lie received, or dis
patched, by you with callous uncon-
sc,ousness. But once perhaps in 80
tdmes your mind will condescend tom
teres, itself in enc of these romantic
messages, \ case in point (ltoccurred
10 myself is before me now; and as l
think you may find 1t both amusing
and instructive ] Will make bold 10 re-
lUte II.
| was then employed rs telegraph
clerk In one OF the larger Offices, One
morning young man came up to the
counter and handed In u message.
lie was Il well dressed, good looking
young fellow, with u pleasant, ingenu-
Gus lace. He handed me his message.
with an elaborate, though hopeless tu-
tile, affection Of nonchalnnt lndiifer.
ence, loor young gentleman! Ills
voice distinctly trembed us he said:
81 wish TO pay the reply
| took and read the message. My
mind, as 1t CHANGED, was then very
much awake. This was his telegram:
Miss Maud Hampton, 2ls Regency
Terrace, st. Johns Wool-Meet me, 1
implore you, Albert Memorial, six this
evening. Wire reply 10 this j, o.
REGGIE"
zone and six halfpenny," | re-
piled, looking up at him through 1.-THE
wire screen, Has boylsh face freesh
ANA good to look at, aud his embar-
raised bushes did not III become him
by any means.
lie handed me coin and ] gave him
his change. Then rnising his hat po-
ljtely went away, In minute, how
ever, he was back again.
81 say, you'll-you'll send that wire
at once, won't you:"
| assured that 1t would be dis
patched without delay.
When he returned at the end of an
hour ! had just received the answer.
II was addressed 10 Reginald Peel,
care Of our office, and was extremely
short and sweet:
"Sh0nt. MAUD"
When he came handed II TO him
of course without amy comment. lie
1T open eagerly. He turned pale. lie
crushed the telegram in his hand and
In his morahcltjJnand disappointment
he was not forgeifu Of his Eolieness.
Again he raised his hat to me and
hastily quilted The Office. | did pity
him very much indeed
II was three or four days before l
saw him agNin, and Then he brought
another message addressed to the
same lady, 1t ran thus;
won't you ever write? REGGIE
81 will pay the answer he said (hls
expression Of face was quite prunrully
doe-begonc), "Ind will call for 1t
here later on"
every well" | replied
He did not, this time go away quite
Immediately, but leaning his elbows
on the counter, and casting furtive
glances TO his rightund left to make
sure that no one was near enough 10
hear him, he murmured, with, nervous
rapidly:
81 say, I'm glad It's You, and NOT
any CT the others, who have taken
my message again. You're not the
sortto make fun OF n fellow over an
an affair of this kind, are you?"
"Indeed, MOI" assured him. "On
the contrary, | am very sorry mean
IL is no business Of mine, and sec
nothing Whatever 10 make fun Of"
Thanks, awfuly," he murmured,
with a grateful look. and speaking
even faster unl more nervousIy than
before, VI Spotted you as the right