The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-11-04

With his fingers idly pressing hi:
key, Manning gazed into space. Eve
since coming to Warwick he had puz
zled over the subtle appeal in the dot,
ana dashes that came over his wir,
from Okisko. 1t was not that the On,
orator there was q Woman-so r,o,Ict
ne gathered from the dainty prirrnes,
OF ner sending. 1t was rather that IN
her biographies there was a famiIia,
quality, an indeflnable something +hat
suggested other days and scenes. Surel1
he had heard that same stvle nt
Morse before, style less easy and
nnlshed than now perhaps, yet still
the same. All at once it came to him
ana bright light Of recognition
shone In his face.
Are you Miss Farnum?" he clicked
out eagerly; 'the same little FIN who
worked the old Stanford string AT
Hampden two years ago?"
Thanks to the unappreciative bach
elors, still the same Okisko answer
ed cheerily.
And do you not remember me?"
Manning questioned.
"Oh, very well. You are Mr.. Mg from
Sanford l knew you the instant YOU
touched the wire"
why didn't you make yourself
known to me?'
What question: Perhaps I felt
piqued that you didn't recognize nv
touch as quickly as L did yours"
Manning ignored the evident stiff
ness in the reply. "Shake." he said
warmly. I'm so glad to see you!''
Thanks!" came back more gently
Same here. It's mighty good to meet
some one from home-I can't help
thinking of that old wire out i'm
Hampden as home. because it is the
first one ] ever worked.
Il know the feeling" Manning
clicked back. And myi how tame
and empty the old string seemed when
you were gone. Ever close your eyes
and try to recall a face you loved ?
Course you can't recall a friends
Morse by stopping your ears. but you
can recall it nevertheless, and I've Of
ten tried to bring yours to mind"
with not much success, it seems"
Okisko laughed.
Come, don't quarrel Tell me why
you left Hampden so-without even a
goodby'
'Oh, wen. l was such a wretched
ham and the others on the line were
so impatient. ] was a prophet without
honor, you see. SO L concluded just to
strike out"
But here another station broke and
took the Circuit" 1t proved to be Judy
Junction, with a message to be hur-
ried.
ITO Wk." he said take this and
hustle it. please
"One minute" Manning said irrit-
ably, attempting to resume the inter-
rupted chat
But Judy would not be put off. "ItI
won't walt" he said briskly. Take it,
now and be quick about It'll"
Il
mix-up ensued- After a struggle Judy
had his way and ratified off his mes
sage Manning was hot. The Judy "ar-
tist' was very fair operator-that ne
admitted. But the fellow had an air
of having done heavy work, of being
too big for his place, which i'll became
a mere railroad novice. However.
Manning saw the Importance of the
and knew that Judy was right
in forcing 1t upon him. Had it all end-1
ed there his pride would not have suf-
fered. But to carry mis- point Judy had
grounded off Okisko, thus breaking upI
the chat. 1t was this high-handed pro-
ceeding that Manning resented. and in
giving his 20. K" he also ripped out
his disgust at Judy's insistence. judy
waited coolly, then he retorted:
VERY young colts ought to wait toi
be weaned before kicking over the |
traces"
This from a mere railroad junction
product, in Morse provokingly patron
izing, was too much for Manning. and II
from that instant war was declared be-
tween Warwick and Judy.
Manning racked his wits trying to-
hit upon some way Of getting back at |
the Judy artist" If he could have
got together any great number of mes
sases at a time for that station he
would have been in clover. Then he !
could have roasted" the upstart every
hour and thus made his revenge q con- |
Linuous performance. But his only
chances of scorching were the days. |
1nce a week. when the Judy Junction
Gazette received its news report. The
first day this batch of matter was put
before him Manning fairly Rugged him |
self. Now" he gloated as he began |
.ailing. I'll simply skin alive that
bantami"
Manning's key did not merely triclxle |
lots and dashes. It would be nearer
ruth to say that Morse gushed from
lis finger tips. And his copy? 1t really
made your mouth water to watch the
luscious loops and curves issue from
lis penl When Judy answered Up he
tarted in with an easy swing, which
% meant as u warning TO the distant
ecefver. Then gradually he let him
elf out until n pace was reached that
tanning considered terrific for a coun-
ryInan to copy. The saunders along the
inc 1ingled in "a way TO make opera
ors sit up and listen. 1t was good
tuff, too, a trihe youngish perhaps.
ut really full of promise. On and on
altered the stream of dots and dasheS,
ct mover & word or sign of a break
anne from the other end. Manning
Il . d,
ossible that the wire had gone down I