The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-01
MYRA'S ADVENTURES.


babe adieu to school that had really been
home to her, to teachers who had been
friends, schoolmates who had been like
sisters. The eldest Miss Lipsett went to
the depot with her in the cab, and on the
way began a course of advice TO unpro-
tected females that lasted until the depot
was reached. The main point of the advice
was to speak to nobody. Of all things cal
culated TO bring An unprotected young.
single female traveller TO grief, speaking 20
an unknown person was the most danger
Gus.
Remember" cried Miss Upset from
the station platform, and she put her fin
ger to her lips. Away went the cars, and
I Myra sat wrapped in her veil and saw the
familiar landscape vanish. and thought
how the girls would miss her and how she
would miss them, until by slow degrees
future hopes replaced past memories
And ! am on my way 10 be married, !"
she said to herself; what a queer girl !
am to have forgotten all about it."
1t was odd, but then Myra's engagement
was an odd one.
She had been brought up by her grand
mother, sentimental lady of the old
school, who was very fond Of her. How
ever, her grandfather-who was afflicted
with the govt and bad temper-made his
house no home for child. and the girl
was soon sent to school. She spent the
summer vacations at home, however, and
at times she met Ben Cooper, who lived on
the next place and whose mother had been
her grandmother's schoolmate, though
Mrs Ferris had married at sixteen and
Mrs Cooper at forty Ben was the only
child of the more mature couple, the idol
of their hearts.
At first he was, Of course, big boy, al
ways ready to amuse the pretty little girl
next door, but by the time Myra was six
teen, he was a young man, very pretty
fellow, with blue eyes, curly hair and a
dimple in his chin. And he fell in love
with Myra and told his mother SO, and his
mother told Myra's grandmother, and
Myra's grandmother asked Myra to confide
in her, and the girl said, with bushes,
that she did like Ben"
Then the elderly ladies resolved TO make
the young people happy, and they were en-
gagged to each other, and Ben set to work
to make his fortune and Myra went back
to school
In the course of making his fortune Ben
was obliged to 60 to California, and there
he had now remained five years, and Myra
had been kept at school perfecting herself
in many accomplishments until she was
one-and-twenty. And now the poor old
grandfather, no longer driven mad by his
aches and pains, lay at rest in his grave,
and when MIRA reached home the wedding
day would be set, and Ben would go into
business for himself near his old home.
They had written constantly; she had
always thought of him fondly. He wrote
that he would be the happiest man alive
when once he held her hand in his again
L shall be very happy. know" Myra
said TO herself, land suppose all the talk
in plays and novels must be exaggerated,
that in real life people never go wild about
each other, but just feel nicely. as do to
Ben"
She had come to this conclusion, when
the word Junction" reached her ears She
was TO change at Croydon junction, and
springing TO her feet she ran to the door
and was helped 10 the platform by an ener-
getic brakeman. a moment after she rec
ognized the fact that she had made a mis-
take. This was not the place at which she
should have slighted. She must return to
her car. But sometimes at the functions
cars do very erratic things
While Myra had been gazing about her
and realizing the fact that at Croydon
Junction there was a grocery and not a
hotel at the corner Of the one long street,
that the station was on the other side, and
that the church there visible had a steeple,
whereas the one in sight had a tower, her
car had glided away and another taken its
place 1t was a New York train frCrn
which people had alighted to take lunch
con, and as it few upon its way without
making pause, Myra soon began to feel
uneasy. she wanted TO ask questions, but
the awful warning TO be silent prevented
her from speaking TO her neighbors- In
vain she called TO the conductor as he went
by; he would not stop.
Can be of any service'" asked mas
culine voice at her elbow. But Myra only
shook her head. and at last, with the word
tickets" the conductor really paused be-
side her seat.
Il gave you my ticket" she said q
have TO bay another at the junction Tn
going to Chicago.
The conductor stared at her in silence,
then shock his head
This is the New York express" he said.
How did you come herei"
Myra explained
Well" be said. "all that you can do
now Is 10 go on and take the Chicago ex-
press from New York This trip won't cost
you much. Well be in the city within two
hours" He wrote something on q ticket
and handed it TO her.
Myra put her hand in her pocket Her
purse Was gone
oh" surely | must have dropped il
here" sic cried She searched about; 50
did her neigh ors; 50 did the conductor.
Finally the conductor walked away.
Big tears began 20 pour down MFra's
cheeks She was terrified beyond expires
sion.
Il beg yoTlr pardon, said the gentleman
beside her. but see how terribly alarmed
you are There IS no reason | Will see that
everything * right You shall get safely 20
Chicago. give you my word for that; II
take care Of you
For a moment MIRA reflected; then she
turned and iooked al the gentleman He
was a handsome. brown bearded young
man, with nice eye>. buoad shoulder and
that protecting sir that women love De
spite al the w4r-ia that lad been gwen
her, She could not fee afraid O. him B.
sides, what could Sc %, peauiiess aaa
alone. On her way n a great city Hhers she
had never been before
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