The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-02
A Wireless Message.
Original


with her aunt He first met them in 1
Paris, where he and they were inspect
ing a lace factory. Both the aunt and
the young lady appeared to be very
refined and not by any means stlnted
/ for money. The name was Varick.
/ Probably there are more love affairs
| among travellers for pleasure than at
/ any other time. Strange. not familiar,
i faces attract each other, and love -four
/ ishes in idle fields. At any rate. Lover
/ ing was much attracted to Miss Made
/ laine Varick Miss Varick seemed te
/ be both pleased and troubled at his
| attentions. Lowering thought she acted
very like a girl who had a reason for
net permitting herself TO accept them
The next step IN his inferences-a nat
ural one to a loyer-was that there
was another man in the case.
Lowering shortened his stay abroad
IN order to cross the ocean with the
Varicks. If visiting palaces. galleries,
china, tapestry and lace factories near
Paris was conducive to love, steamer
chairs in close proximity on the deck
of an ocean liner were much more so
On moonlight nights especially the
| young lady was enhancing. But that
nervousness, apparently at Coverings
attentions. which she had displayed
in Paris was sensibly increased on the
ocean, growing more and more mark
ed as they approached America.
One morning Lowering went into the
telegraph Office to send a wireless dis
patch. The operator had stepped out
for a moment. leaving two dispatches
ready to put in envelopes on a table.
Lowering could not well help taking
them in, as they were short One was
addressed to Miss Madeline Varick. 1t
read:
Engagement broken. Am free.
HOWARD.
Here was an explanation to the
young lady's treatment of him Some
one who had been tied up in an engage
ment wished to marry her Coverings
heart stood still. Then the words.
"Alrs fair in war and in love" flashed
through his brain, and his plan was
formed. The operator returned, and
Lowering offered to deliver Miss Va
rick's message. The offer was accept
ed, and the telegram went to the bot
tom of Coverings pocket, where 1t re
manned till after the conclusion of the
voyage.
The same evening, while the moon,
which had reached the full, was rising
out of the ocean. Lowering poured an
other ocean-an ocean OF love-into
Miss Varick's ear. She listened with
pleasure to his declaration. but would
give no decisive answer.
wait till we have landed" she said.
Come and see me a few days after l
have reached home, then 1 will give
, you an answer"
: ''Why waltz
'T don't know Something may hap
pen. You may not want me when you
r know that which
: She paused. Lowering was sure she
= wished to wait and have it out with his
, rival, and that would probably mean
. his defeat He pleaded for a definite
response, but in vain. The lady would
not bind herself until after the landing.
When the steamer passed slowly up
$ the Hudson river and half a dozen
0 docks, the aunt and niece came on
deck, ready TO go ashore. The aunt
who had kept her stateroom during the
voyage, now seemed to Varick to have
gained flesh. He remarked upon her
improved appearance, and she said
that even a few days without air and
exercise would cause her to gain per
ceptibly. Miss Varick wore a long
cloak, which she kept well buttoned.
When the gangplank was in place
. Lowering gave his arm to the aunt, and
the three went ashore together. He
could feel her heart beating against bis
arm like triphammer and wondered
at the cause They had scarcely reach.
ed the dock when a customs inspector
! approached and said politely:
This way. ladies'"
Both ladies turned pale. They mutely
followed the officer, who turned them
over to a woman, and they disappeared
. from Coverings view to be searched.
The next morning he learned through
: the papers a history of the case. The
aunt was a New York modiste, and the
L niece was one Of her shopgirls. The
, former was wound with many yards
. Of lace, and the latter under her CLOAK
9 wore several lace dresses, each worth
a thousand dollars. The account stat
{ ed that they had been warned by {
: wireless telegram, which from some
unaccountable reason was never deliv
u cred to them.
> Then Lowering dived into his pocket
pulled out the message he had purloin
L ed, read 1t gain and knew that he ha(
= feiled the game Of his beloved SNUG
Il gler By intercepting a CIPHER warning
/ that the New York customs officer
E were ION to- her game.
There is honor among thieves" ans
: sometimes among lovers, though TIL
} latter are apt to be crooked, especial,
when a rival appears. After a husl
Of shame at having been deceived