The herald., 1918-06-13
THE TAPPED WIRE|
BY GENEVIEVE ULMAR.
Copyright, 1918. Western Newspaper Unioh.'

nor gymnast, but his college training
had taken in that muscular exercise
which makes a man agile and nimble.
1t was we'll for Ned Walters, line re-
pairer, that this was so. Just as HIS
ley CHANGED to be passing. the man
aloft on the telephone received
shock, uttered sharp cry and fell
upon the crOsStreeS, apparently insen'
sible.
He was hanging with his head down
and slipping, slipping, the only obsta-
Gle to a sheer earthward plunge being
| loose wire in which the climbing
hook had caught.
nlsley Sprang at the pole, pulled
himself up and, fourteen feet accom-
plished, grasped the victim Of the acci-
dent.
One hand of the latter showed a
bad burn, the body was limp, the eyes
closed, the face CHASTITY pale; but Wal
tiers breathed slowly, painfully. He
came back to sensibility and Illsley
eased him inch by inch down the pole.
you got me in time, didn't you"
| faltered Walters. at was a narrow
Craze. I'm not likely to forget you
| SoOn."
Illsley remained with the man until
he saw him fully out of danger. At
this especial period ,Illsley was not
very happy. He wac man in love,
but something more than that-a man
/ in love who had confessed the same
and had been ruthleSsly discouraged.
The blow had been a crushing one.
These were the circumstances: Ills
ley had come to Moorville to visit an
old invalid uncle, and his intended So
journ had glided into month because
he had met Breda Lorne. So con-
WINGED was he that he had met his
fate, so apparently pleased did Miss
Lorne appear with his attention, that,
two days before his necessary return
to business in the city, powerful i'm
pulse led him to write to her frankly,
clearly, telling her Of the true state Of
his mind and asking for the encour-
agement he hoped to receive. Two
mornings after that Illsley received
1t was signed with the initials "B. L."
and informed him that his appeal was
hopeless, as the writer was already en-
gagged to another.
Illsley closed the chapter of his one
life romance by striving to forget,
which was impossible, and arranged to
get back to the city, where distance
and occupation might assuage the deep
heart pain he experienced. Twice he
passed Miss Lorne on the street. he
simply bowed, his manner grave and
constrained. Breda acknowledged the
salutation and flushed, half-halted, as
though expecting he would address her
and then passed on, a certain hurt eX.
preston upon her face.
Both times she was with her con-
slant companion, Corinne Mayhem,
who was a visitor from another town,
and whom nlsley had met several
times at the Lorne home. He had
never liked the young lady. for she had
certainly set her cap for him, and her
bold forwardness In this respect had
led him to evade her.
nlsley had said good-by to his uncle
and had reached the railway depot
just at dusk, three days after his time
" services in behalf of Ned Walters,
when, just as the train bound for his
destination came In view, swift fig
ure rushed up to him and seized his
arm. 1t was Ned himself, and he was
breathless and perturbed.
"Just in timer the line repairer
painted out. 'Mr. nlsley, you must
come with me for an hour or two"
"But 1 have made all arrangements
to take this train"
"You will defer 1t, I am sure, when
I tell you that your future happiness
and that Of Miss Breda Lorne depends
upon your learning what know. Don't
think am prying into your affairs, but
owe you my life, and in my humble
calling l have come to obtain informa-
ton of great value to tou."
"What do you meanT questioned
nlsley.
"That a certain letter you received
was never written by Miss Lorne, who
never read your own; that Miss Cor
inne Mayhem has been scheming to
discredit you with Miss Lorne in the
interests of her brother"
nlsley was astounded, almost IN
credulous, until Walters took him to a
room which had wire running into II
to temporary receiving instrument.
'Listen at that receiver until there
passes over the wire q message from
Miss Mayhem to her brother. which ]
happen to know will occur within the
next hour. 1 have caught many such
In the course of my work during the
past few days"
Twenty minutes later Hlsley heard
Miss Mayhem inform her brother that
nlsley had abandoned the field, and
that her brother must the next day be
gin the siege of Breda's heart, thai
Breda loved Illsley, but her very hui
initiation at his apparent neglect
would arouse her pride and make hel
pliable for a new sutton.
Illsley did not leave the town tina
night, nor the next-in fact, not at all
He saw Breda and the situation wa!
cleared at the sacrifice of her falls,