fficial, you'll get it in the neck."

I didn't wait for any official complaint, but put on my coat and walked
out much chagrined, because I had always boasted that no woman could
ever run me off a wire. I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Love
afterwards and apologized for my conduct. She forgave me, but like Mary
Marsh, she married another man.

CHAPTER XI

WITNESSING A MARRIAGE BY WIRE--BEATING A POOL ROOM--SPARRING AT LONG
RANGE

After my disastrous encounter with Miss Love, I went south and brought
up in St. Louis, where old "Top," the chief operator, gave me a place
working a New York quad. This was about the worst "roast" I had ever
struck, and it was work from the word go from 5 P. M. until 1 A. M. Work
on any wire from a big city leading to New York is always hot, and this
particular wire was the worst of the bunch. While working in this office
I had several little incidents come under my observation that may be of
interest.

The coy little god of love manifests itself in many ways, and the
successful culmination of two hearts' happiness is as often queer as it
is humorous.

Miss Jane Grey was an operator on the G. C. & F. Railway at Wichita,
Kansas, and Mr. Paul Dimmock worked for the Western Union in Louisville,
Kentucky. Through the agency of a matrimonial journal, Jane and Paul
became acquainted; letters and pictures were exchanged, and--it was the
old, old story--they became engaged. They wanted to be wedded and the
more sensational and notorious they could make it the better it would
suit them both. Jane only earned forty dollars per month, while Paul's
monthly stipend was the magnificent sum of sixty, with whatever extra
time he could "scoop." Neither one of them wanted to quit work just
then, they felt they could not afford it, but that marriage must come
off, or they would both die of broken hearts. Paul wrote,--Jane
wrote,--plans and compromises were made and refused; the situation was
becoming desperate, and finally Jane's brilliant mind suggested a
marriage by wire. Great head--fine scheme. _It takes a woman to
circumvent unforeseen obstacles every time._ Chief operators were
consulted in Kansas City and St. Louis and they agreed to have the wire
cut through on the evening appointed. There were to be two witnesses in
each office, and I was one of the honored two in St. Louis. The day
finally arrived, and promptly at seven-thirty in the evening Louisville
was cut through to Wichita, and