Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-04-11
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= NNNHsl AnA lNAl A. 900 Il
! Love along Rance
I VoV11117InWVS

Charles O'Meara was an operator in
New York on one side of quadru-
picked 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 chief in
their respective Offices. 'O'Meara was a
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-
gciUusly to possess the power of fascina-
ti6n 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 oppor-
tunities for conversation in the early
morning before the rush Of business for
the day began and in the late after
noon when the rush was over
There is a sort of telepathy in tel
egraphy, as all photographers 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 a strange hand
on the key in Chicago, and Miss David
BUt was as quickly conscious of the
change when any other than O'Meara'f
hand manipulated the transmitter il
New York. There is as much that il
distinctly characteristic in the MANNER
III which telegraphers form the dots
and dashes as there is in the manifold
forms Of chirography.
One morning Amy complained Of
feeling Ill. II am afraid she said,
"that / will have to give up and 20
hume: I would do SO surely If I could
afford to lose the time. My head aches
dfeadfu1ly. Dear me! What would my
mother and sister do if I should become
really sick? They have nobody to take
care of them but me-
There was a tremulousness in the dot
and dashes which plainly Indicated tc
OMeara that the girl, a 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 of endearment in their inter
course, and she was much affected. But
she frightened up a little and managed
to struggle through the days work.
Next morning O'Meara found 8
strange operator at the Chicago end Oh
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 a woman he ha6
never seen. He became so fretful anG
irritable as to excite comment amone
the others in the Office.
'What on earth is the matter will
OMeara 2" asked one Of the operation
on the opposite side of the ''quad" O.
the man who sat at the next instru
ment.
Il guess he's in love with that Chi
cago girl who is SICK" was the reply.
One morning the answer made by thu
Chicago operator to O'Meara's inquiry
as to Miss Davidson's condition con
tanned but one word-'Dead!'
O'Meara uttered kind of moan, ant
his head fell upon his desk. When on,
Of the chiefs aroused him, he found tn
young mans face flushed and his eye
bloodshot. O'Meara was sent home
where he remained for weeks suffering
from a severe attack of brain fever
When at last he had recovered and re
turned to the Office to report for duty
the chief told him to take his usual sea,
at the Chicago quadruplex.
'If you'd just as lief give me another
wire, I'd rather have it, O'Mears
said. II don't think I care to worl
with Chicago any more"
There was twinkle in the eye O
the chief as he said:
"You used to do some fne'work OF
that Chicago wire"
Perhaps so," O'Meara replied, sadly
'but had fine operator to worl
with
"Well," said the chief, '*that's a,fn'
operator there yet-the same one. Tbe
ieve, that was there before.'
''That cannot be-for she is deada
This with great sob.
II think you had better return 10th,
old wire, for the present at least" tn
chief said. "Then, if you are not salts
fed, will transfer you to some.othe,
circuit. -
O'Meara walked slowly over to hi
old place to relieve the manwho was a
the moment receiving some message
from Chicago. AS he neared the instru
ment and heard the characters coming
with a dearly loved and familiar sount
his heart almost stopped beating 81
overwhelming was the surge Of emo
ton. He listened moment until at tn
beginning Of another message came tn,
signal of the sending operator, IA. D.
"Who, in heavens name, is there i,
Chicago" he almost shouted, "tha
dares to sign "A. D. 2''''
"Amy Davidson. of course wa
his friends reply.
Don't triAe with me-" O'Mear'
cried. "Amy Davidson is deadl"
''Not by long shot, " said the.oper
ator, making way for O'Meara. II
was only rumor that some chuck
headed ass accepted as fact. She ha
been back at work for two weeks o
more. From the manner in which sh
has innuirn1 ah0uf vou oxnorv 1av