Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-10-24
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CoURrsH1P By WIRE.

OUh40n11 64 lh6s
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have often been asked whether we
telegraph operators i'm busy offices ara
able to pay attention 10 the sense of
ceiWing and dispatching, or whether
(aS ds said to be the case with copying
clerks) we fall in the habit of perform.
ing vt like machines, without any con-
scOous apprehension of the meaning
OF the words which wetransmt. Speak
ing for myelf, and for those of my fell
low operators with whom / have dis
cussed the matter, should ay that al
ways the truth lies in the latter alter
native.
Sometimes, however, one is able to
read between the lines of sagesless
interesting than mere business dis
patches. Any number of amatory tele-
grams are sure to pass through your
hands. Most of them las l have al
ready said) will be received, or dis
patched, by you with callous uncon-
scbousness. But once perhaps in 80
times your mind will condescend to in
terest itself in one of these roman tic
messages. A case in point (t occurred
to myself is before me now; and as l
dhink you may find it both amusing
and Instructive l Will make bold TO re-
hate it.
. l was then employed as telegraph
clerk in one of the larger offices. One
morning a young man came up to the
counter and handed in message.
He was well dressed, good looking
f1aI lCt h laos mt I'M
Gus face. He handed me his message.
with an elaborate, though hopeless flu
tile, affection OF nonchalant inditfer-
ence. Poor young gentleman! His
voice distinctly trembled as he said:
Il wish TO pay the reply
L took and read the message. My
mind, as it CHANGED, was then very
much awake. This was his telegram:
Miss Maud Hampton, Els Regency
Terrace, st. Johns Wool-Meet me, /
.mplore you, Albert Memorial, six this
evening. Wire reply TO this p. o.
REGGIE"
Zone and six half-penny," L re-
piled, looking up at him through 1.-THE
wire screen. His boyish face freesh
and good to look at, and his embar-
raised bushes did not i'll become him
by any means.
He handed me coin and gave him
his change. Then raising his hat po-
Euely went away. In "a minute, how
ever, he was back again.
II say, you'll-you'n send that wire
ait once, won't you?"
l assured that it would be dis
patched without delay.
When he returned ait the end of an
hour / had just received the answer.
1t was addressed TO Reginald Peel,
care of our office, and was extremely
short and sweet:
"Shant. MAUD"
When he came / handed it to him
of course without any comment. He
it open eagerly. He turned pale. He
crushed the telegram in his hand and
in his notifications and disappointment
he was not forgetful of his politeness.
Again he raised his hat ITO me and
hastily quilted the Office. l did pity
him very much indeed.
It was three or four days before ]
saw him again, and then he brought
another message addressed to the
same lady. 1t ran thus:
won't you ever write? REGGIE.
II will pay the answer" he Said (his
expression of face was quite prainfully
doe-begone), land l Will call for it
here later on"
Every WELL" / replied.
He did not, this time, go away quite
mediately, but leaning his elbows
on the counter, and casting furtive
glances to his right and left to make
sure that no one was near enough to
hear him, he murmured, with nervous
rapidity:
81 say, I'm glad it's you, and no:
any of the others, who have taken
my message again. You're not the
sort to make fun of fellow over an
an affair of this kind, are you?"
"Indeed, no!' l assured him. "On
the contrary, am very sorry-I mean
IT. is no business of mine, and I SCI
nothing whatever to make fun Of"
Thanks, lawfully" he murmured
with a grateful look, and speaking
even faster and more nervously than
before. II spotted you as the right
sort. II liked your face, you know
L will call by-and-by for the answer
The answer, when lit came, made me
really very angry with the unknown
Maud. 1t ran thus:
mo, I won't. MAUD"
: He called soon afterward and hand.
ed it to him. He read it. l saw him
set him teeth tight, as if depressing
some explanation Of pain or chagrin
did feel dreadfully sorry for him. He
was such a boy, and he took it adj sc
TO heart! l suppose l must have ex
pressed my sympathy by my looks
At amy rate, he said ito me in his ingen.
uous, natural way:
81 say, it's awfuhy good of you, who
are perfect stranger, toto feel fol
me. They-my friends, D mean-al
laugh ait me about 1T. They call me 9
fool Tor persisting in hopeless attach
menu. But 1 don't care l shall never
love any girl but her. You-you must
think 1T rather strange" he went on
hurriedly and with artless confidence
my telegraphdng to her like this; bui
she won't see me when / call, and she
won't answer my Letters. So the only
way of getting her to notice me was
to send her reply-paid wire. But III
doesn't make any difference. 1 love
her just the same, and / would rather
have cruel reply from her than nc
repl y ait ALL would, upon my soul"
Then this ingenious boy lover lifted
his hat to me. and was gone.
Two days later he came again. He
handed me in another message. e
Maud. noticed that his face was ~,
determined, ~ Of one who has taken
desperate resolve. The WORDING nj