The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-03-02
A TRUE ROMANCE.

"A / KOE Il
Mamie Bowman. sweet, pretty,
neat, little lady, succeeded old Alex
Walliclz, as operator at Montgomery,
a small town on the old Z. & o. Alec,
because of his trustfulness and watch
fulness, had been promoted to re-
sponsible position in tower at St.
Louis. Mamie was an orphan, but she
possessed the noble qualities of spirit,
independence, brightness, alertness
too well she knew that she had to
make her own way in the world, and
like a. real heroine set about it with
a courageous heart.
Under dear Old Alec, who treated
her as kind father would, she learn
ed the art of telegraphy, and it was
quite agreeable to the staid old town
of Montgomery when she quitely as
sumed her tutors place.
Luther Qdell, passenger conductor
on the line and friend of the beauti-
full little operator, tells us that her
life was real romance. When oppor-
tunity favored Luther went to the
window, or to the table where she sat
at the instrument, and kindly inquired
how she was getting along. She in
variably answered him with thanks,
and added the remark that she was
doing the best she could. It was not
foreign to her mind that Luther gave
her a good reputation to the powers
that made and, unmade operators on
that line.
When the old depot was torn away
and new white one erected at bet
ter place across the track, OF Hern-
don, a foreman, and a young man OF
| fine physique, said she was now just
| where she ought to be. Oh observed
that the loafers and tobacco chewers
/ found another place to exchange their
| crude notions and spit amber juice
Everything around was as neat and
clean as a new pin. Everybody re-
spected Miss Mamie Bowman, and
some said that she was very brave to
accept so responsible a position. A
great deal of stock and coal was ship
ped from that place, and sometimes
it involved god deal of telegraphing
but Mamie never made mistake.
/ Walter Crook, handsome young
man, the son of farmer a mile away
shipped much stock for his. father
and that necessary threw him ant
Mamie together quite frequently. The!
l came in time to know each othel
quite well. His kindly, polite, mani,
manner won upon her. She knew
where her heart was, but his attitude
was the reserve Of one who regarded
her as a superior. 1t was long befor'
he deceived himself, but he tardily dit
so, and was made to know that hi
love was reciprocated.
II At a small station twenty mile
away was an operator and agent, VIII
casually had met Mamie and ''fell i,
love at first sight, He was nice
appearing young man and seemed t.
be decent and self respecting, but hi
constant whispering over the wire pu
her Oh her guard against him. Tha
natural instinct, which every fine
grained lady possesses, told her tina
there was something hidden away
something false in the basic nature Q
John Stout-for that was his name
and she regarded his words and al
Iteneions as things but of the passin
moment. She was not angry wit
him, but she was amused. Perhap
her attitude should have been differ
ent in so serious and delicate a matte
as this, which involved the happines
of another heart, but indeed she neve
considered it flirting. Young Stou
had frequently spelled to her with hi
key the Latin word "amo,'' which h
had somehow learned, but he w;
never guilty of any graver indiscretio
over the wire. He knew about Wa
ter Crooks attentions to her, and wa
greenly jealous. However, Miami
knew it not. She would never PERM
him to call Oh her, and even refuse
him the permission of writing. Fl
never passed through Montgomer
I but he dropped off for momen
and shrewdly concealing his feeling
! | greeted her with bland smiles an
kind words. Common politeness d'
) manded that she should treat him n
specifically, and her respectful reserv
) only endeared her the more to hin
I She recognized the fact that he col
q sidered himself rival to Waite
81 Crook, but she only suffered to g
on what she could not avoid. e..
q Ira Cornell and John Stout had bee
81 school books together at Montgomer!
q and were bosom chums in their youn
manhood. Ira had gone to the Quee
q City, from which he travelled as
salesman for large tobacco firm, an
in his trips he frequently dropped o
:. at his early home and shook hant
with his old friends. He was abso
utely honest in money matters, b,
! perfectly dishonest in workin
( schemes, whether of business {
against his enemies. 1t, was said tn;
he was desperately in love with pre-
81 ty, honest Gertrude Mccarthy, VIII
! was the special friend of Mamie, an
came to Montgomery often as HI
q guest. In fact, Gertie, as everyor
: called her, told as much to Mani
I and with CHEEKY laugh confesse
she could not, however, "bring hi
q to the point"
81 One day Ira Cornell and John Sto,
met at the Montgomery depot. The
stood earnestly conversing some tin
apart, while the draymen. and trucl
men and grain dealers and Other
, n,ssed and renaSse1 No one kne