The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-05-09
An Unusual
Message
By DOROTHY WHITCOMB


Copyright 1921. Western Newspaper Union.
A man was tramping heavily across
the sands of the interior of the vast
Australian continent. Preston watched
him from the door of his tent. He
had no doubt that this was an illu-
sion, born, like SO many others, Of
loneliness and the seorching heat of
the illimitable wastes.
For fifteen months Preston had not
seen u white mans face. With his
small company of faithful blacks lac
had Travelled almost from coast to
coast, erecting the wireless telegraph
stations. He had had u companion
Hall; but Hall lay under cairn of
and Preston was without companion
ship.
Back in England girl was wait
Ing till the completion of his task en-
abled him to send for her, that they
might take up life together.
The figure came forward. lie was
emaciated by hunger and burned brick
red by the tropical sun. Preston car
ried him into his tent.
Evening came at length; the meal
was prepared. The stranger showed
signs of reviving. Then he reiapsed
into delirium and began mutterlng.
Preston at first paid no attention
to his delirium. Gradually, however,
he became worse. One name per-
sistently lowered upon his lips. 1t
was a woman's name. The girl was
his fiancee and lived in Plymouth,
England. That much he knew: Miss
Daisy Gibson, engaged to Peter Bar
nett and waiting for his return with
the pearl oyster catch, that they might
be married AS the sick man grew
weaker his utterance Of her name be-
came continuous.
All at once a wild idea came into
Preston's brain. He shook Barnett
violently.
do you want message from Miss
Glbson?" he asked him.
The words acted electrically upon
the other.
Messenger" he uttered. "She's In
England"
But listen, man. l can flash n
message TO the coast. Perhaps an an
swer will come"
Fired with the idea, he hurried out
to the transmitting apparatus; ana
that was the origin of the strongest
message that ever went by wireless.
1t was the operator on board the
U. S. cruiser "Tenafly" who caught
the faint signals and showed the mes
sage to his commanding officer. 1t
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. 1t was picked up slmulta-
neously by Dutch merchantmen of
the Celcbes, by a British warship in
the Indian ocean, by German pas
senger ship off Surinam. Before noon
1t was pouring into the telegraph office
at Plymouth from hundred different
places.
The newspapers brought out spe-
cial editions. BY nightfall Miss Gibson
was a world-famous heroine.
But of all that Preston was ignor-
ant He had sent the message In the
last hope of saving the strangers life.
Now, having dispatched 1t, he sat be-
side his guest, his head in his hands.
All his work had gone for nothing
and the hope of life was shattered, for
the message had been to his own
sweetheart.
He took the locket from his pocket
and opened 1t. The sight Of her face
occasioned him exquisite tortures.
The dismal night passed by. The
hot sun scorched the sands again.
The sick man awoke. He would re-
cover now.
"What was that you said about Miss
Gibson?" asked the man on the bed.
SLOW did you learn her manner"
"From your lips" answered Pres
ton. you were dellrious,"
II should have kept that name Sc
cret," said the other bitterly. you
said you had received messenger
Il said that one could be sent"
said Preston. "And-"
with the wireless apparatus? My
friend, If you sent message TO her
you would wrong two people bitterly.
Il suppose l had better tell you
about IT," he continued. ut isn't a
thing that l am very proud OF, but
here 1t is. We were engaged nearly
two years ago. Then l went to the
Indies with a pearl-ishing outfit, hop.
ing TO make fortune and return to
marry her. Well, | got tangled up
with a girl In Calcutta, and the long
and short of It is that we were mar
rled. l wrote to Miss Gibson and told
her-it was the only thing to do.
haven't regretted my marriage either
but when / think of the dishonor of
jilting girl who was waiting for
Newell, 1t makes me pretty well
ashamed of myself"
Dractou,e baart uao haaffpu hard