Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-07-18
A TRAGEDY OF THE WIRES
John II. Raftery In Chicago Record
Herald

She was only child of IL years when
she sat down to the teiegrapter's table
in the little station at Sussex to send
her first real d spatch She never for
got that first message or The fright
ened, hesitatng manner in which she
slowly pounded out it's dots and uashes.
1t was an order from a Sussex dealer
to city firm ordering a carload of ice.
She was frightfullN ratified, and the
operator at the other end had to break
In three or four times before the short
message was understood.
Where's j. Ky asked the city oper-
ator when the girl had finished her
message.
He took night off. I'm just here
to take his place for one night. I'm a
beginner It's my first real work."
Your first real message, In bet. ;"
ratified the key.
How did you know" The fair
haired girl was blushing now; was it
so bad?"
The sounder laughed for nearly a
minute. and Helen didn't know wheth-
er to get angry or smile too.
You're all right H. NJ" resumed
the expert "all right little girl"
How did you know l was a girl?'
the new operator pouted, with a puz-
zled frown on her pretty forehead.
ooh that's easy. They all send alike
at first
ooh thank you!'' pettshly.
Keep cool, little girl, keep COOL
ooh. I'm not angry" The scared girl
was afraid she was Offending the
merry fellow at the other end
THAT car load of ice'l be along pref
ty soon. You ought to be able to keep
cool then. Ha. ha, hi. h.''
oi,,f, 1,o
gan. She asked j. *. about him the
fast man" at the main office in Pitts
| burg, and every time she got Il chance
| TO sub" for the regular operator j. Is.
| 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 bust
| ness could and he coached her With
out even limiting that he really wanted
to help her.
One cool evening while she was sit
ting In the office. the regular operator
now, a curly -headed young fellow with
| mischleyous eyes came to the window
Are you II. N.?" he asked, smiling
frankly.
Yes, sir" she blushed, laying down
| her sewing.
:. Well, I'm James Kirk. J; T., from ron
pleasure. May / come in2''
She Unmatched the door of her little
office and gave him such welcome as a
modest young woman may give to the
man who has been kind and respectful
to her, but whom she had till tho.
/ never seen.
That was the beginning of the cad
He came often to Sussex after that
and at Christmas time they We're mar
ried and went back to Pittsburg to live
| 1t was agreed that she too might wori
In the same Office With him Tor II yeal
| or so She was yet a "bcSi.lner ;tuc
had not begun to stale upon her. Thel
1 she liked To be near him, and the.
4 needed the money for the little hom'
| they hoped soon to make Cor them
selves. So for six months they Were
very happy.
/ Always in the crowded. clattering
busy main Office she could feast hel
eyes ON him. They came together lnc
went home together, and their work,t
day honeymoon seemed IKE a long hoit
iday Till the summer conventions lac
gan. Then Jim had TO go with :
squad of operators To help out at lhii
adelphia, and Helen shed the first tear
of her married life.
one night during the very turmoil o
rushing press dispatches political mes
sages and the hurry Durly OF grea
telegraph office little Mrs. Kirk. tfred
sleepy and lonesome. was sitting u
her key pounding out long rigmarol
about planks and platforms and canal
dates and caucuses. The air fair
hummed with the buzz Of u hundred
saunders. All her attention Was cen
tered upon the business passing IN q
her attentive ear and tul'niiS int
good COPY at the ends OF her ilyin
fingers.
Suddenly out of the bcdlan OF shar
noises she heard a vui!ey OF shar
clicks that sent the blood cold To he
heart.
tx i-r-k d-e-a d She heard tina
much, sounding like u distant, steel
toned lnell Her hands fen TO he
sides. she clinched her teeth, anC
without an effort to listen heard aboE
the ciickety-cIick of the tuinult IN
very sounds that she should nese
have heard:
.Ir-e-I-l o-u-t t-h-i-r-d story win
dow - That Was enough tor th
Ilittle Mrs Kirk Cola and uneon
scous she slipped down upon the iGoi
and while kind comrades carried he
away and sent for the doctor the fol
lowing message was handed to the gen
eral manager.
Your chief operator, Kirk, deae
Fen out third story window of th
hotel FIVE minutes ago. Said Poor Hell
en-. Please notify family and sen
another man on the fast mail tonigh
jenkins"
Under the Umbrellas.
New York Commercial Advertiser