The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1900-01-03
2 MNAcAnANAo AnAnI0 :
{ Love al Iona RANCE 5

} New York on one side of a quadru
picked wire running TO Chicago. TIL
operator on the corresponding side i
Chicago was Miss Amy Davidson. Bot
were expert and the manner in whic
they kept their message hool,s clea
excited the admiration Of the chief il
their respective Offices O'Meara was
handsome and intelligent young Irish
man, with jet black hair and mustach
and great, soulful blue eyes-one of tn
kind of men who seem almost uncon
sciously to possess the power of fascina
ton over women
After having worked the wire TO
gether few months o 'Meara and Mis-
Davidson became well acquainted, al
though, OF course. neither had ever seer
the other. They had abundant oppor.
tunitles for conversation in the early
morning before the rush of business fol-
the day began and in the late after.
noon when the rush was over.
There is sort of telepathy in tel
egraphy, as 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 be-
come conscious of n tender regard for
the other O'Meara could recognize in
an instant the touch of g.; nge hand
on the key in Chicago. and las, David
son was as quickly consciora # the
change when any other than q ara 8
hand manipulated the transnlit;ar IN
New York. There is as much that is
distinctly characteristic in the mann. +
In which telegraphers form tie dots
and dashes as there is in the manifold
forms of chirography.
One morning Amy complained of
feeling i'll Il am afraid, she said.
that will have to give up and go
home. l would do so surely If l conld
afford to lose the time. My head aches
dreadfully. Dear mel What would ny
mother and sister do if should become
really sick? They have nobody to take
care of them but me-
There was tremulousness in the dots
and dashes which plainly indicated to
OMeara that the girl. thousand miles
away, was weeping softly, as indeed she
was, with her head resting YEARLY
against the resonator containing the
sounder. He replied:
TRY to stick it out today, dear.
We will take it easy. and perhaps YOU
will feel better by tomorrow At any
rate don't worry
1t was the first time be had used any
term OF endearment in their inter
course, and she was much affected. But
she frightened up little and managed
to struggle through the days work
Next morning O'Meara found n !
strange operator at the Chicago END OF
the wire. and when he inquired for
Miss Davidson he was told that she was
very Ill. The poor fellow realized now,
II he never had 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
" Meara2 2 asked one of the operators
on the opposite side of the "quad" of
The man who sat at the next instru-
ment.
II 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 inquiry
rs to Miss Davidson's condition con-
;ained but one word-"Deadl"
OMeara uttered kind of moan. and
lis head fell upon his desk. When one
If the chiefs aroused him, he found the
7oung mans face flushed and his ewes
'loodshot O'Meara was sent home
where he remained for weeks suffering
rom severe attack of brain fever.
When at last he had recovered and re- {
urned to the Office to report for duty. ;
he chief told him to take his usual seat {
t the Chicago quadruplex. 8
If you'd just as lief give me another |
wire, I'd rather have it," O'Meara r
aid II don't think care to work I
Nth Chicago any more. 4" q
There was twinkle in the eve of I
he chief as he said;
"You used TO do some fine work ON =
hat Chicago wire. $
Perhaps so, OMeara replied sadly,
but | had fine operator to work
18th. -
"Well, said the chief, that's fine
perator there yet-the same one. I be-
eve, that was there before.
That cannot be-for she is deadp'
his with great sob. n
II think you had better return to the b
d wire, for the present at least, the
lief said. "Then, if you are not salts k
ID, will transfer you to some other II
rcuit. - II
OMeara walked slowly over to his 4
place to relieve the man who was at \
% moment receiving some messages T.
ON Chicago. AS he neared the instru- n
ent and heard the characters coming E
It'll dearly loved and familiar sound Ia
heart almost stopped beating so u
erwhelming was the surge of emo r
IN. He listened moment until at the
of another message came the s@
NAL of the sending operator, "a. D." IN
who, in heavens name, is there in
licago, he almost shouted. THAT
res to sign "A. ID. p CO
Amy Davidson. of course" was tiv
J friends reply. 1t
Don't trifle with me-" O'Meara al Ii