The Meeker herald., 1919-01-25
THE TAPPED WIRE
sy oENEviEvE uLMAR.

nor gyinnast. but his college training
hnd taken In that muscular exercise
which makes man agile ind nimble.
1t was well for Ned Walters, line re-
pairer, that this was SO. Just rs Ills
ley Glanced to be passing. the man
aloft on the telephone received
shock. uttered sharp cry and fell
upon the crosstrees. apparently inset'
dble.
He was hanging with his head down
and slipping. slipping. the only obsta.
Gle to a sheer earthward plunge being
a loose wire In which the climbing
hook had caught.
Illsley sprang at the pole. pulled
himself up and, fourteen feet accom-
piished, grasped the victim Of the acci.
dent.
One hand of the latter showed .
bad burn, the body was limp, the eyes
closed, the face ghnstly 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 you7"
faltered Walters. ut was narrow
Craze. I'm not likely to forget You
sOOn."
Illsley remained with the man cntil
he saw him fully out Of danger. At
this especial period Illsley was not
very happy. He was nun In love.
but something more than thnt-a man
In love who had confessed the same
and had been ruthlsssly discouraged.
The blow had been crushing one.
These were the circumstances Ills
Icy had come to Moorville to visit an
old invalid uncle, and his intended 80
journ had glided into month because
he had met Bretla 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 Inn.
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 q
brief note that seemed to seal his fate.
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 bis 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
salutation and flushed. half-halted, AZ
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 Illsley had met several
times at the Lorne home. He had
never liked the young Indy. for she had
certainly set her cap for him, and her
bold forwariness in this respect had
led him to evade her.
Illsley had said good-by to his uncle
and had reached the railway depot
just at dusk, three days after his time
ly services in behalf Of Ned Walters,
when. just as the train bound for his
destination came In view. q swift hg.
ure rushed up to him and seized his
srm. 1t was Ned himself. and he was
5reathless and perturbed.
"Just In time!" the line repairer
painted out. "Air. Ilsley. you must
come with me for an hour or two"
"But / have made all arrangements
to take this train"
"You will defer 1t, ! 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
I owe you my life. and in my humble
calling have come to obtain informa.
lion of great value to you"
"What do you mean3" 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"
Illsley was astounded, almost In
credulous, until Walters took him to .
room which had a wire running into 1t
to temporary receiving instrument.
"Listen at 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. l have caught mnny such
In the course Of my work during the
past few days"
Twenty minutes later Illsley heard
Miss Mayhem inform her brother that
Illsley had abandoned the field. and
that her brother must the next day be-
gin the siege Of Bredn's heart. that
Breda loved 1llsley, but her very hu-
initiation at his apparent neglect