The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-10-09


message to the coast II will prob
ably be picked up by passing ships
and transmitted from point to point
Perhaps an answer will come"
Fired with the idea, he hurried out
TO the transmitting apparatus; and
that was the origin OF the strangest
message that ever went by wireless.
II was the operator on board the
U. s. cruiser "Tenafy- who caught
the faint signals and showed the mes
sage TO his commanding officer. II
ran like this:
Miss Daisy Gibson, Plymouth. Eng
land. Peter Barnett, sick In North
Australia. asks for a message"
There was no signature.
The message was flashed out In all
directions. IL was picked up simulta-
neously by Dutch merchantman on
the Celebes, by q British warship In
the Indian ocean. by a German pas
senger ship OF Surinam. Before noon
II was pouring into the telegraph ONCE
at Plymouth from a hundred different
places. II came from Russia, from
the United States. from South Ameri-
ca, from Egypt. The wires were
blocked. and. following one another
without an interval. the same words
were clicked out by the needle:
Miss Daisy Gibson. Plymouth. Eng.
land. Peter Barnett, sick In North
Australia. asks for a message"
The newspapers brought out spe-
cial editions. Reporters hurried to
Plymouth to obtain particulars OF the
romance. By nightfall Miss Gibson
was a worldfamous heroine. Mon
sieur Jules Carpenter the veteran
correspondent for the Paris Figaro"
departed for England without any
other baggage than n toothbrush and
a pair OF opera glasses. in order to
secure an interview with Miss Daisy.
But OF all that Preston was ignor.
ant lie had sent the message In the
last hope OF saving the strangers life.
Now. having dispatched IL, he sat be
side his guest. his head In his hands.
All his work had gone for nothing
and the hope OF life Vas shattered. for
the message had been to his own
sweetheart
He took the locket from his pocket
and opened IL. The sight Of her face
occasioned him exquisite tortures.
Yet he could find no reproach for her.
for he had always known that there
was another man. That much she
had told him. They had been en-
gagged six months when Preston met
Daisy. She had told him that the
other man had gone away. but he had
never learned his name He knew.
however. that she had ceased TO care
for him. 1t was only after long per-
suasion. and because they knew that
their love for each other was more
sacred even than a plighted word. that
she had promised herself TO him. And
now he had been the agent whereby
those two were brought together
again
The dismal night passed by The
hot sun scorched the sands again.
The sick man awoke. He would re-
cover now. Yet Preston had not de
cided what TO do. IL seemed that he
had staked his future on one reckless
throw and that the issue lay with him
no longer
What was that you said about Miss
Gibson" asked the man on the bed
How did you learn her Manner
From your lips" answered Pres
ton. You we're delirious'
Il should have kept that name Sc
cret." said the other bitterly. You
said you had received a MESSAGE
Il said that one could be sent"
said Preston. And"
With that wireless apparatusf Ny
friend. II you sent a message to her
you would wrong two people bitterly.
Il suppose ! had better tell you
about IT," he continued. 1t isn't q
thing that ] am very proud OF. but
here II is. We were engaged nearly
two years ago. Then I went to the
Indies with a pearLfshing outfit. hop
ing TO make a fortune and return to-
marry her Well. got tangled uIv
with a girl In Calcutta, and the long
and short OF II Is that we were mar.
ried. wrote to Miss Gibson and told
her-it was the only thing to do. I
haven't regretted my marriage either.
but when | think OF the dishonor OF
fitting n girl who was waiting for
Newell. II makes me pretty well
ashamed OF myself"
Prestons heart was beating hard
against the locket. He nd not dare