The Worthington advance., 1900-04-13
Love at Long Range

I Love at Long Range I
THARLES O'MEARA was an opera.
u tor in New York on one side of a
quadruplcxed 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.
gent young Irishman, with jet black
hair and mustache 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 few months O'Meara and Miss
Davidson became we'll acquainted, al
though, of course, neither had ever
seen the other. They had abundant
opportunities for conversation in the
early morning before the rush of busi-
ness of the day began and in the late
afternoon when the rush was over.
There is sort of telepathy in teleg-
raphy, all telegraphers admit, and there
certainly was in this case. Long be-
fore any word of love had passed be-
tween them each had become conscious
of tender regard for the other.
O'Meara could recognize in an instant
the touch of strange hand ON the key
in Chicago, and Miss Davidson was as
quickly conscious of the change when
any other than O'Meara's hand manip-
ulated the transmitter in New York.
There is as much that is distinctly
characteristic in the manner in which
telegraphers form the dots and dashes
chirography.
One morning Amy complained OF
feeling i'll. II am afraid" she said
that I will have to give up and GO
home. would do so surely if could
afford to lose the time. My head aches
dreadfully. Dear me! What would
my mother and sister do if should be.
come really sick? They have no one
to, take care of them but me.'
There was q tremulousness in the
dots and dashes which plainly indicated
to O'Meara that the girl, thousand
miles away, was weeping softly, as in.
deed she was, with her head resting
wearily against the resonator contain
ing the sounder. He replied:
TRY to stick it out to-day, dear. W.
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 inter
course, and she was very much affected
But she frightened up a little and
managed to struggle through the day s
work.
Next morning O'Meara found a
strange operator at the Chicago end
of the wire, and when he inquired fol
Miss Davidson he 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 woman hi
had. never seen. He became so .fretfu
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 operator.
on the opposite side of the quad" of thu
man who sat at the next instrument.
Iguess 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 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. Whe1
one of the chiefs aroused him h
found the young mans face flushed
and his eyes bloodshot. O'Meara wa
sent home, where he remained TO-
weeks suffering from severe attac]
Of brain fever. When at last he ha.
recovered and returned to the offic,
to report for duty the chief told hin
to take his usual seat at the Chicag,
auadruplex.
IF you'd just as lief give me an
other wire I'd rather have it,
O'Meara said. II don't think I car
to work with Chicago any more"
There was twinkle in the eye O
the chief as he said:
"You used to do some fine work OF
that Chicago WIRE"
"Perhaps so," O'Meara replied, sad
iy, "but I had fine operator to worl
with"
"Wel,." said the chief, ''that's a fin,
operatr there yet-the same one,
believe. that was there before"
THAT cannot be-for she is dead!
This with q great sob.
II think you had better return t,
the old wire. for the present at least,
the chief said. "Then, if you are no
satisfied, I will transfer you to som
other circuit"
OAteara walked slowly over to hi
old Flace to relieve the man who wa
at that moment receiving some mes
sages from Chicago. As he neare
the instrument and heard the char
actets coming with dearly loved an
4 familiar sound hts heart almos
stopped beating, so Overwhelming wa
the surge of emotion. He listened
moment until at the beginning of an
other message came the signal of th
sending operator, "A. d."
'Who, In heavens name, is there i
Chicago" he almost shouted, "tha
dares to sign "A. DIP"
"Amy Davidson, Of course" was hi
4 frieaas reply
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