The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-07-25

/ ~
She was only a child of It years when
she sat dow nto the telegraphers table in
| the little station at Sussex TO send her
first real dispatch. She never forgot that
first message nor the frightened, hesitat-
ing manner in which she slowly pounded
out its dots and d3shes. II was an order
from q Sussex dealer to a city firm order
| ing q car load of ice. She was fearfully
| ratified, and the operator at the other end
had 10 break in three or four times before
| the short message was understood
| Where's J. K?'' asked the city opera
tor when the girl had finished her mes
sage.
.'Ht took a night of. am just here
TO take his place for one night I'm a
/ beginner. It's my first real work"
Your first real message, III bet, rat
/ tied the key.
How did you known The fair-haired
| girl was blushing now. was it so bad?"
| The sounder laughed for nearly a min
ute, and Helen didn't know whether TO get
angry or smile too.
You're all right. H. NJ" resumed the
| expert. "all right little girl"
How did You know I was a girl?' the
new operator prouted. with puzzled
frovn on her pretty forehead
"Oh. that's easy. They all send alike
at first"
oh thank your' pettishly.
Keep cool, little girl, keep cool"
"Oh, I'm not angry" The scared girl
was afraid she was offending the merry
fello wat the other end.
That car load Of ice'u be along pretty
soon. You ought to be able 20 keep cool
then. He, ha, hi, hii'
That's the way the acquaintance be
gan. She asked J. K, about him-the
fast man" at the main Office in Pitts
burg, an devery time she got chance
10 sub" for the regular operator J. X
would break IN somehow and tease her.
But he showed flashes Of real kindness
too. His flashes Of humor helped her TO
improve as no amount of fry business"
could, and he coached her without even
limiting that he really wanted 10 help her.
One cool evening while she was sitting
in the office. the regular operator now,
curly-headed young fellow with mischiey-
eous eyes came TO the window.
Are you II. p he asked, smiling
frankly.
yves. sir" she blushed, laying down
her sewing.
We'll, I'm James Kirk, J. K, from
Pittsburg." he said, laughing with pleas
ure. May I come in?"
She Unmatched the door Of her little Of
fee and gave him such welcome as
modest young woman may give TO the
man who has been kind and respectful 10
--~~N-
seen.
That was the beginning Of the end. He
came often to Sussex after that, and at
Christmas they were married and went
back to Pittsburg. 1t was agreed that
she too might work in the same Office
with him for year or so. She was yet
beginner and the novelty of the fas-
ctnatng business had not begun to stale
upon her. Then she liked to be near him
and-they needed the money for the little
home they hoped TO make for themselves.
So for six months they were very happy.
Always in the crowded, Gathering, busy
main office she could feast her eyes on
him. They came together and went
home together an dtheir workaday honey
moon seemed like a long holiday till the
summer conventions began. Then jim
had to go with a squad Of operators to
help out at Philadelphia, and Helen shed
the first tears Of her married life.
One night during the very turmoil Of
rushing press dispatches, political mes
sages and the hurly- burly of a great teie-
graph office little Mrs. Kirk, tired, sleepy
and lonesome. was sitting at her key
out long rigmarole about
planks and platforms and candidates and
The air fairly hummed with
the buzz Of a hundred saunders. All her
attention was csntered upon the business
passing in at her attent ear and turning
into good copy at the ends of her flying
fingers.
Suddenly out Of the bedlam of sharps |
noises she hard a volley OF sharp clecks !
that sent the blood cold to her heart.
- Kirk d-e-a-d--" she heard that 1
much, sounding like distant. steeltoned !
lnell. Her hands fell to her sides, she !
clinched her teeth, and without an effort |
to listen. heard above the clickety-click /
OF the tumult the very sounds that she |
should never have heard:
'F-el-l-o-u-t THIRD story window |
- That was enough for the little Mrs. /
Kirk. Cold and unconscious she slipped /
down upon the floor and while kind com /
rades carried her away and sent for the 1
doctor the following message was handed /
10 the general manager:
Your chief operator Kirk, dead. Fell |
put third-story window Of the hotel FIVE
minutes ago. Said Poor Helen. Please
notify family and send another man on
the fast mail tonight.
JENKINS"
JOHN II. RAFTERY."