The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-07

neighbor. and said some real nice
tnlngs OF you Your visit viii prove an
agreeable break in the almost unbear-
able monotony OF this quiet place.
II was sense of utter loneliness
which brought me down. I uttered
/ the lie almost trembling in confusion.
Inere was such jolly light in her
loVeiy blue eyes, and her frank, smil-
ing lace utterly COMPOUNDED me- L
came, too | added, ito offer you an
apology and beg your pardon for my
rude words over the wire a while ago.
l Know am very poor operator and
my sending at times must be very try
ing To those who attempt to receive it.
l was IN an ugly frame OF mind when
1 began the message TO you and when
You were compelled to break me so
often L grew yet more cross and said
some sharp things to YOU"
/ on. don't mention it." she replied
with merry laugh Il confess you did
I provoke me just a little, for / tried real
hard TO get you. but really, if any
apologies are needed they should be
mutual ones l said just as sharp
things to you as you said to me, but 1
( was half funning. Come out behind the
depot and / viii show you something
l am very proud of, for did it all my
v
the trainmen, has left his coat here
THAT is my coat, Miss Preston" 1
said, confusedly. 1T was very warm in
the caboose, you know, and / pulled it
off,
Why didn't you bring il in and hang
1t up instead of throwing it down on
the dirty platform? 1 will take il in
and put it away for you"
mo, L viii put it on, if you please
= m hn of ha
depot. and pointed with an air of pride
TO small patch of ground laid off in
beds of really pretty design. Through
the loosened earth many tender shoots
were peeping forth.
II did it all myself" she said, with
childish enthusiasm. II borrowed a
shovel and pick from the section fore
man, and you. should have seen my
poor blistered hands when l got through
digging up the earth. | did it just to
pass the time, and because 1 love
flowers
s.And is this what so engrossed your
time when 1 desired to talk with your
l asked, with a guilty feeling.
Yes. 1 used to hear you calling
while was out here at work with my
hands just caked all over with dirt,
and / could not go in and answer you.
/ told you one day I was posting .ay
books. The idea of books where there
/ is not a bit of businessi / would not
tell you over the wire what I was do
ing. for the operators along the line
would most numerically guy me
about my farm. and / did not feel at
liberty to write to you, for you were a
stranger to me, you know When L
had completed the work and had time
TO talk. you never called me up any
more"
81 thought you did not care to talk
with me-" 1 replied Il feared my
frightful sending had thoroughly dis
gusted you"
"Oh. it is not so bad as that" she
laughingly replied. 81 can read your
sending quite readily Now that We
know each other We can converse more
, intelligently. I hope we may have fire.
quent chats
When the train took me back to my
more than ever dreary station. l bore
the image of my little neighbor in my
heart. The falsehoods which / had
told her were keen stings in my con-
science, and the following day L wrote
her letter and told her the true cause
of my visit and assured her that had L
found man in charge there would
have been a lively scrap"
II suspected as much" she replied.
"for you were terribly fiustered when
YOU came into my Office. And that is
dirty platform. Well. when / recall
! your splendid physique and evident
muscular strength, l thank my lucky
stars that / was not man."
We became the best of friends, and
my hostile visit to Wa-ka-ru-sa was
not by any means my last one.
have just returned from a tour of
inspection of the division of the road
now in my charge as superintendent
As seat myself at the desk in my cosy
home to seal this story ready for mail
ing, a dear little wife bends over me
and asks:
Aren't you going to finish it. dear?'
/ assume a look OF mock Indignation
and sharply ask:
Have you been reading my private
papers,"
Eyes. I read every word Of it, and
laughed and cried over the memories
the reading recalled. 1t is true story,
it possesses no other merit. But why
do YOU not complete it?''
'rWhat more is there TO tell2'
What more is there to tell?"
How / punished you for coming to
wa-ka-ru-sa to whip me"
And how was that?"
"By marrying you"
s-Oh, they viii guess that" replied.