El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-05

<Love at Long Range )
Sentiment and Telegraphy-D0ts
y and Lines That Were Full (
{ of Feeling. !
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New York on one eide of a quadru
picked wire running to Chicago. The
operator on the corresponding side il
Chicago was Miss Amy Davidson. Boil
were expert, and the manner in which
they kept their message hooks clear ex
cited the admiration of the chiefs in
their respective offices O'Meara was g
handsome and intelligent young Irish
man, with jet black hair and mustache
and great soulful blue eyes-one of the
kind of men who seem almost uncon-
sciously to possess the power of fascina-
tion over women.
After having worked the wire to-
gether for a few months O'Meara and
Miss Davidson became well acquainted,
although. of course, neither had ever
seen the other. They had abundant OPP
portunity for conversation in the early
morning before the rush of business for
the day began and in the late afternoon
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 tender regard for
the other. O'Meara could recognize in
an instant the touch of strange hand
on the key in Chicago, and Miss David
son was as quickly conscious of the
change when any other than O'Meara s
hand manipulated 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. Il am afraid, 80 she said,
"that / will have to give up and go
home. l would do so surely if ] could
afford to lose the time. My head aches
dreadfully. Dear mel What would my
mother and sister do if 1 should become
real sick. They have nobody to take
care of them but me-
There was a tremulouDess in the dots
and dashes. which plainly indicated to
O'Meara 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 he had used any
term CT endearment in their inter-
course, and she was much affected
But she frightened mp a little and man
aged to struggle through the days |
work
Next morning O'Meara found a |
81 &c
the wire, and when he inquired for |
Miss Davidson 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 p asked one of the operators
On the opposite side of the quad" Of
the man who sat at the next instru-
nent
~ guess he's in love with the Chi
ago girl who is sick, was the reply.
One morning the answer made by
he Chicago operator to O'Meara's in
JURY as to Miss Davidson's condition
but one word-''Dead.
O'Meara uttered kind of moan. and
his head fell upon his desk. When one
If the chiefs aroused him, he found the
7oung mans face flushed and his eyes
)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
eat at the Chicago quadruplex.
IF you d just as lief, give me anotb
II wire. I'd rather have it," O'Meara
aid. II don't think 1 cafe to work
With Chicago any more.
There was twinkle in the eye of the
hief as he said
You used to do some fine work on
hat Chicago wire.
perhaps So " O. MeaIa replied sadly,
but l had a fine operator to work
With.
well. said the chief. "that's fine
perator there yet-tbe same one. l be-
ieve, that was there before. -
THAT cannot be-for she is dead.
his with a great sob
II think you had better return to the
Id wire for the present at least, >" the
hief said. Then if you are not salts
ed l will transfer you to some other
ircuit
O'Meara walked slowly over to his
Id place 10 relieve the man who was
( the moment receiving some messages
rom Chicago. AS he neared the instru-
,ent and beard the characters coming
Nth dearly loved and familiar sound
is heart almost stopped beating so
was the surge of emo
lon He listened for a moment until
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