Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-04-26

Love at Long Range


NHARLES O'MEARA was an opera
tor in New York on one side of
quadruplcXed wire running to Chicago.
The operator on the corresponding side
in Chicago was Miss Amy Davidson.
Both were expert, and the manner i'll
which they kept their message hooks.
clear excited the admiration of the
chiefs in their respective Offices.
O'Meara was a handsome and intelli
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 well 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 a 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 a tender regard for the other
O'Meara could recognize IN an instant
the touch of a strange hand on the key
in Chicago. and Miss Davidson was as
Quickly conscious of the change when
any other than OMeara'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
as there is in the manifold forms OF
chirography.
One morning Amy complained Of
feeling i'll. 81 am afraid" she said,
that l will have to give up and 60
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 tremulousness in the
dots and dashes which plainly indicated
to OMeara that the girl, thousand
miles away, was weeping softly, as in
deed she was, with her head resting
YEARLY against the resonator contain
ing the sounder. He replied;
"Try to stick it out to-day, 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 he had used any
term of endearment in their inter
course. and she was very much attected.
But she frightened up a little and
managed to struggle through the day S
work.
Next morning O'Mears 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. if 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
O'Meara?" asked one of the operators
on the opposite side of the quad" of the
man who sat at the next instrument.
Il 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 in
quiry as to Miss DavidsOns condition
contained but one word-"Dead!"
OMeara uttered kind of moan
and his head fell upon his desk. WheI
one of the chiefs aroused him he
found the young mans face flushed
and his eyes bloodshot. O'Meara was
sent home, where he remained fol
weeks suffering from a severe attach
of brain fever. When at last he hat
recovered and returned to the Office
to report for duty the chief told hin
to take his usual seat at the Chicago
quadrupleX.
IF you'd just as lief give me an
other wire I'd rather have it,
OMeara said. 81 don't think l care
to work with Chicago any more"
There was a twinkle in the eye o.
the chief as he said;
you used to do some fine work OF
that Chicago wire"
perhaps So" OMeara replied, sad
ly, "but had a fine operator to worl
with"
WELL" said the chief, that's fin,
operator there yet-the same one,
believe. that was there before"
"That cannot be-for she is dead!'
This with a great Sob
81 think you had better return t.
the old wire, for the present at least,
the chief said. "Then, if you are no
satisfied, will transfer you to som
other circuit"
O'Meara walked slowly over to hi
= old place to relieve the man who wa
at that moment receiving some mes
sages from Chicago. AS he neare
| the instrument anu uedIu tH0 Via
acters coming with dearly loved an
familiar sound his heart almoS
stopped beating, so Overwhelming wa
: the surge of emotion. He listened
moment until at the beginning OF al
other message came the signal of til
sending operator, ga. D."
"Who, in heavens name, is there
I Chicago" he almost shouted, "tha
dares to sign "A. DIP"
"Amy Davidson, of course" was HI
friends reply.
Don't trife with me-" OMear
cried. amy Davidson is dead!
! ''Not by a long shot," said the o.
crater, making way for O'Meara. "
was only asrumor that some chuckl
: headed ass accepted as fact 81
has peen back at work for two weei
or more. From the manner i'll who
. she has inquired about you every Ga
~ l should imagine that she takes
interest in you"
When he sat down before the II
L; c lopA frannhlp6 so tlf