The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1919-05-03
THE TAPPED WIRE
BY oENEvIEvE ULMAR.
Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper Union

palrer, That this was so. Just as Ills
ley Glanced to be passing, the man
nloft 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 sheer enrthwnrd plunge being
n loose wire In which the climbing
hook had caught.
Illsley sprang Mt the pole. pulled
himself up and, fourteen feet accom-
plished. grnsped the victim OF the acci-
dent.
one hand OF the Inter showed a
bad burn, the body was limp, the eyes
closed. the face CHASTITY pale; but Wal
tiers brcathed slowly. painfully. He
came back to scnsibIlity and Illsley
eased him inch by Inch down the pole.
"You got me In time. didn't yOu7"
faltered Walters. ut wns narrow
Craze. I'm not likely to forget you
soon"
Ilsley remained with the man until
he snw him fully out OF dnnger. At
this especial period Illsley was not
very happy. He wns man In love.
but something more than thnt-a man
In love who had confessed the same
and had been ruthlcssly discouraged.
1Aic blow had been crushing one.
These were the circumstances: Ills
ley had come to Moorvllle to visit an
old invalid uncle, ind his intended So
| journ had gllded into month because
he hmI met Breda Lorne. So con-
WINGED was he that he Ind 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. a 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-
ngcmcnt he hoped to receive. Two
mornings after that Illsley received
brief note that seemed to senl his fate.
1t was signed with the Initials "B. L."
md Informed him that his appeal was
hopeless, us the writer was already en-
gagged to another.
lllsley closed the chapter OF his one
life romance by striving to forget,
get bnck to the city. where distance
and occupation might assunge the deep
heart pain he experienced. Twice he
passed Miss Lorne on the street. He
simply bowed, his manner grave and
constrained. Bretn acknowledged the
saluintion md flushed, half-halted, aS
though expecting he would address her
md then passed on. certain hurt ex.
preston upon her face.
Both times she wns with her con-
slant companion. CorInne Mayhem.
who was visitor from another town.
and whom 1llslcy had met several
times mt the Lorne home. He had
never liked the young lndy. for she had
certainly set her cap for him. and her
bold forwardncss In this respect had
led him to evade her.
1llsley had said good-by to his uncle
md had reached the railway depot
Just ut dusk. three days after his time
ly services In behalf OF Ned Walters,
when. just MS the trnin bound for his
destination came In view. II swift fig
urc rushed up to him and seized his
nrm. 1t was Ned himself. and he was
GREATNESS and perturbed.
"Just In timer the line repnircr
painted out. "Mr. Illsley. you must
come with me for nm hour or two"
"But l hnvc mnde all arrangements
to take this train"
you will defer 1t. am sure. when
l 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 have come to obtain informa-
ton OF great value to YOU"
"What do you mean2" questioned
lllsley.
"That certain letter you received
was never written by Miss Lorne, who
never read your own; that Miss Cor
inne Mayhem has been scherning to
dlscrcdit you with Miss Lorne In the
interests OF her brother"
Illsley was nstounded. almost In
crcdulous, until Walters took him to a
room which had wire running into It
TO II temporary receiving instrument.
''Listen Mt that receiver until there
passes over the wire a message from
Miss Mayhem to her brother. which I
happen to know will occur within the
next hour. have caught many such
in the course of my work during the
past few dnys."
Twenty minutes later lllslcy henrd
Miss Mayhem inform her brother that
Illsley had abandoned the field. and
TINT her brother must the next day be-
gin the siege OF Bredn's heart. that
Brcda loved lllslcy, but her very hui
initiation mt his apparent neglect
would arouse her pride and make her
pl!nble for new sutton.
Illslcy did not leave the town that
night. nor the next-in fact. not at all.
He SnW Rroln md the Situntinn Xna