Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-01-13
shrugged his shoulders.

sea-! persisted the girl.
He vas still too disconsolate at the
thought of parting to quite lift him
self into her mood.
ooh, we eat and sleep, and I've
taken up wireless a little in my spare
moments. l expect you know why.
I've been interested in it ever since
you gave me my first lesson in your
workroom.'
"Can you send and take?" she asked
eagerly.
GA little. but 1 am slow at it."
The girl was leaning on the table
now in her eagerness, for already an
idea had occurred to her.
81 can SEND we'll now she exclaim-
ed. 81 spent lots of time In the IT.
vessa's little wireless room. 1t seems
so much more wonderful on sea than
it did on land. Oh. the mystery Of it
all!
"Think Of being away off tossing
about in a boat. With nothing but sky
and water anywhere in sight, and to
have n who is"-she hesitated a mo-
ment, and a bright flush rose as she
went on, correcting herself quickly
81 mean, of course. If there should be
some Il very dear to you on that
same ocean. You don't know where.
how near or how far, but by touching
a key you can send your thoughts fly
ing in every direction, and the little
wave currents bearing your message
will CULVER around him. brush by him,
perhaps touch his check in passing.
and you wonder if he feels it."
The man was looking at her queerly.
"By Jove. that's STRANGE" he said.
low, as she finished.
Frances laughed teasingly.
"NNhy. have you ever felt a message
dancing about you?' she questioned.
Sommers shook his head.
. "No, but the Roanoke did. 1t was
very singular. | assure you. | vas in
the wireless room II night q couple
of weeks ago talking to the operator"
the girl leaned forward with sudden.
tense MISREPRESENTATION suddenly, with
out a call or getting our response or
any preliminary that the we'll regu-
lated message INDUCES in before COM
ing to you. over our recorder there
came clicking in Il wonder message"
His voice softened to a note of ten
.derness.
cit vas i message of love-the ten
derest and sweetest I've ever known.
No n could tell for whom it was III
tended. don't think it knew itself.
1t had gone astray.
"It was sent by a woman-it must
have been-and it found a home with
us. Not a man on that ship but car
ries it now in his heart. May l tell it
to you?"
The girl was looking at him, her
heart in her eyes.
ga love message? Of course" she
said softly. But how extraordinary!
Sommers nodded.
wasn't it? 1t seemed almost cruel
that such a dear little message, so in
nocent and pure, should have been
thrown out into this hard old world of
urs to dash through the air, through
heat and cold and storm, vainly seek
ing an owner; going on and on, miles
and miles, in every direction, until at
last it became weak and faint-and
died"
"But, you see, it didn't die" added
the girl tenderly.
"No,' said the man. "By some
chance as it flew by us we caught it,
and we loved it. That message will
live until the last man on that ship
has fought his fight"
"And it was sent to no one in par
t%icular?" questioned the girl.
"To YOU" he answered.
TT me!w she exclaimed, startled.
Sommers shook his head, smiling.
"No, no, that was the address. Lis
ten: ITO you. my own one, | send this
little message overlooking with my
love-"
He was bending across the table
eagerly, speaking low the wonder mes
sage that had come to him; giving it
back, his own declaration of love to
the girl.
EYES," said she softly, for she under
stood.
At her tone an intuition came to
him. He caught her look. BE. too,
understood. And so he dared mis-
quote a little.
SHOULD it ever reach you, would
you know it came from me?"
"No, no, it wasn't that" exclaimed
Frances sharply. Then she stopped
abruptly. the crimson rushing to her
face.
whats the matter? Didn't I get. it
right?" he asked. with pretended in
nocence.
The girl, caught, now was trembling.
"Why, how should I know"
The pretense Of innocence was hope
less. He shook his head, smiling ten
derby.
"How should you know? Because
you sent it. Oh, that message vas
Ike you, only
"Only what?" she asked.
He looked at her with a queer smile.
"Only every other fellow thought it
was like some one else. Did you send
- L. os