The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-03-01
The
Telegraph
Touch
By Ellis Lee
By Ellis Lee
copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union.)

=. - - - - - - - "a - - - - y. !.
.ss::;
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper union-)
Edison Worth WAS dreaming of Marie
Duntley, when he should have been
wide awake. Marie was the night OPP
eratcf at Wolf SPRING., forty miles
west, yet he felt as near to her as
though She was the width of a parti-
ton beyond him. Edison had been at
Merrivale in charge of the station for
two years. He used to boast-and
prove-that he could identify the
sender of half dozen ticks over the
wire, through familiarity with the
touch"
1T isn't the ticks. they are all the
same, plain as the alphabet" Edison
used to say. "But every operator has
Il touch essentially his own. It's like
mannerism in speech. 1t takes an
expert to detect it. ] call myself one.
SO, always know who is talking"
Edison had been talking" up to an
hour previous, little snatches of greet
ing, snappy raillery, to greet re-
sponsive brief words that made Edison
sure he was not Indifferent to the
bright, dainty little operator at Wolf
Springs.
"Why, when Marie is on the wire, the
first tick of the call sends a thrill
through me. It's just as ii our finger S
met Edison had told his sister once.
THAT must mean true love, hey, Mag
gie?p aud Maggie had encouraged his
conception with smiling nod and Ed
son was content.
He was all alone, and it was nearly
midnight. He had slipped down in his
chair into Il comfort seeking position
for routine stuff was out of the way
and there was nothing due ON train
detail under an hour, unless special
orders came out. Usually Edison read
or smoked to keep awake. His
thoughts of fair Marie, however. lullet
him into a hazy, pleasant thrall, ant
insensibly he glided into somnolency
Edison was guilty Of fatal lack O
diligence. If No. 81 on the Norll
Branch was reported on time, he wa
to telegraph the bridge station a
Woodville to hold "a on the main un
til the branch train had cleared tn
bridge. Orders were due within tn
hour. For the hour and beyond it Et
|, son slumbered. He awoke with
start. Such a thing had never hal
pened before. His first glance was {
the clock. He sprang to his feet,
white horror in his face, his body
a cold perspiration. Train 81 hi
: passed eighty minutes agone, and
had not heard it, and
: met on the bridge. Both trail
were late and must have disregardt
: signals. Casualties heavy and tv
coaches in the river, completely su
merged
A hand of ice seemed to seize h
heart in a crushing grip, his brai
= reeled. Before his mental vision theI
passed a frightful picture of carnae
and destruction. For the moment an
for hours later Edison Worth was q
insane, irresponsible creature of fral
tic unreason and impulse.
His first action was to close his cal
to the monotonous drone of what /
reconized as fragment of press di
patch. He dashed from the static
like being pursued by dreadful phal
, toms. That noon he had received h
monthly salary and it was still inta
in his pocket. He passed the cottas
in which his sister lived, but only i
> creased his reckless rate of speed.
welcoming lights had no influence
. lure him to shelter, to compassion,
safety
i Edison tore along the dark count
: road until, breathless, exhausted,
! sank to the platform of railro;
depot on a line going north. A ira
i came along within the hour. Edison G
tered its dimly lighted smoking C
+ rnd crouched in the corner of its dar
l. est seat.
+ where tor" challenged the condu
g tor.
L Terminus" sounded hoarsely In t
parched throat of the new passengs
n He paid the fare, knowing from {
8 pretentious amount named that it W
n over two hundred miles ahead. O
S urging impulse directed him-to get
s fast and as far from home and frien
J. and all the world as speedily as pt
J. sible.
n The wilderness. the furtherest o,
posts of civilization seemed to beck
a him on-he. an Ishmnel, accursed
c all mankind as murderer
crime crushed him. He would bu
himself amid an obscurity barren
men and homes. He might not be al
+, to forget, but he would meet with
). familiar poignant reminders of WI
!. had been, what was never to be aga