Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-07-14

@HB occupation OF telegraph Oper-
ator at Gillville was Of an almost
slowly killing kind to a hand
some, young and ambitious man like
Jack bay. But the salary was too fair
and agreeable to be wilfully relin-
pushed.
"If l had a wife, now" he thought,
with a contemplatlve expression, at
might brighten a fellows life some
what. But what chance have l to go
acquiring. And where Is the girl In
these parts, I'd like to known
Then an idea struck him; his face
frightened.
"Ill try it," he exclaimed, in sudden
determination.
Turning to his instrument, he began
ticking off a message of inquiry to the
operator at Martins station, four miles
distant.
Awake over there?"
"All the timer came the prompt,
terse reply.
lawfully lonely over here. Think
of marrying, but no opportunity. Can
you help me"
Afraid not. No husbands worth
having round Martins, or l might have
been married myself before this"
Jack opened his eyes at this, ex-
claiming, after a while:
1.-The deuce! l am talking to a wom-
anv'
Nevertheless he licked away again.
Not looking for a husband. Am a
man and want a good wife. Salary
fair, habits temperate. Want a little
house of my own, with a loving wom-
an. Can you put me in the way of it?'
Pretty Hester Fleming, at the other
telegraph instrument at Martins sta
ton, murmured:
Mercy me! am talking to a man.
and somebody told me that the Gillville
operator was a woman"
Some time elapsed ere Jack received
any response to his last inquiry. At
last tick, tick, tick-a-tick came sound
ing back, and it said:
Cant tell. Come over and see me
In off hours Bring credentials"
That exchange OF messages between
the two lonely operators was the be-
ginning of a courtship remarkable as
well for its brevity as its novelty.
At his earliest opportunity, Jack was
In Martins. Within a month the post
of telegraph operator at Martins was
filled by a successor to Hester Flem-
Ing. who had changed her name to
Hester Hay.
The welded couple were very happy.
1t did not require long to make the mu-
tual discovery that they were admir-
ably mated.
Hester proceeded lndustrlously to
the management of the cottage, which
Jack had plainly furnished for their
home, near the station, and ere the
summer had fully set in its little gar
den, under the magic touch Of a wom-
ans hand, was a mass Of viny-green
and bloom and beds of delicious scent
and varying hues.
The swift months that followed
strengthened the bond Of love between
the young husband and wife; and Of
ten, as he watched her at her busy
tasks, he thought that not all the flow
ers in the garden were as sweet as a
kiss from Hester's lips, nor a color
there as beautiful as the bloom of
health on her dimpled cheeks.
One day, however, a queer change
seemed to have come over the happy
wife; the color in her cheeks was not
so rosy as usual, the smile did not play
upon her lips, and her violet eyes were
restlessly thoughtful.
what is it, HessyY' asked Jack, So
licitously, as he placed his chair Mt the
dinner table near the window, where
he could receive all the cool, fragrant
air. Something is worrying you, pet.
Chickens been at the flower beds? Cat
pulled down the cypress vine?"
She twined her arms round his neck.
"oh, Jack, will you forgive me for
keeping a secret from you
"a secret?"
"You were not the only sutton l had,
Jack. Don't be angry with me for tell
ing 1t now"
why, there's nothing remarkab i.
about that. A girl as good as you are
ought to have had a dozen suitors, for
that matter"
But there was one in particular"
"Was theref Well, you dropped him