The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1901-04-27
4 Farmers Dream Of the Sea.
BY JESSIE LLEWELLYN.

BY JESSIE LLEWELLYN.
Author "The Red. Milk Wagon" etc.
Copyright, 1900, Daily Story Pub. Coz
= 1t was few months after the open
ing Of the Oklahoma strip. A merci-
less, scorching south wind swept the
broad prairies of Western Kansas. 4
Weary pilgrims, discouraged in vain
efforts to hold barren claims
against lawlessness and murder,
We're forced to- halt their white
winged prairie schocaers; for the
hot sand, like molten lava, was too
much alike for the bony, dropping
horses and the numerous unkempt
children whose brown faces protruded
in the gaps Of white canvass. Green
things were no where to be seen. All
vegetation had long since put on a
mourning Of dead brown. Fields of
almost black corn whispered helpless
ly in the wind and shook and rustled
far into the night as though conspiring
against the injustices Of nature.
8 The little town Of Kiowa, which was
something of a railroad center, seemed
the only thing alive for miles around.
AS night came On uncertain lights be-
gan to flicker from first one and then
another of the dust-sick houses. In
one of these, "a small frame house near
the railroad tracks, lived old Sol Bur-
tan and his daughter Lie"
Although the heat was oppressive
Eliza had closed the doors and win
doWs to shut out Whirlwind Of sand;
from time to- time while about her
task she glanced at the shaggy figure
near the window.
1t was Soils accustomed seat; he
would draw his rickety old armchair
to the closed window night after night,
staring out silently at the lights along
the track. Sometimes for variety he
would produce a, tattered notebook in
which he made many figures. The
girl had no need to ask questions. She
knew the poor ridiculous little tragedy
of his dreams, his one great, over
whelming desire; the same which as
10y had caused him to lean idly on the
plow in the Kansas corn fields and
look out over the undulating prairie,
naurmurlng to- his jaded horses: "It
jes' looks like the sea-" All through
his life he had said, Next year, if
times grows better, I'll go to the sea-
Even after he owned a small farm of
his own and hot winds, or drouth, or
grasshoppers continued season after
season to wither and blast his straight
rows Of corn, hope still kindled his
eyes and he only said, eff crops is, good
next year, I'll see the sea-"
. He had married early, as is custom
ary in small. communities, but his wife
had died after a year on the desolate
farm, leaving a little daughter. Then,
after continued failures on the place,
he had lost, itxon a mortgage and had
moved into the town where he could
pick up something doing odd Jobs
AS an unusually strong blast of wind
dashed fusillade Of fine sand against
the window pane, he glanced up and
met his daughters steady but sym
pathetic glance. /
I've got it almost figured out Lie
Il could go on the freight to New
York for $50. We could raise about
q hundred on the house, couldn't we?
and you could have the rest to live
On till got back You see Pm gettin'
old, Lie, 3and sifaI don't go pretty
here his voice uIavered pitti-
fully and he shifted his knotty hands.
helplessly I don't so pretty soon,
& I'll never see the great ocean, He
looked about the dinly lighted room
and continued.tastIt's SO grand, they
say billows of white foam-and it's
green, likesithings a-groWin'."
The girl went over to him and lifted
one Of his hands soothingly with
motherly tenderness. Wen have to
wait awhile, Dad,'' she said. .tWait till
me and Jim is married and maybe then
we can raise the money better.
Jim was the switchman who snent
most Of hisNlifes in the high switch.
tower a few blocks from the home, He
represented all that was heroic Is
Lie. ssAnd nov. she was saving !.
Z you must be going over to the tracks
or you'll miss the train to Wichita
and you'll not get back tomorrow
night 81
II get that Job in Wichita, Lie, /
can save enoug oIeE in a year to go
to the coast ''fsFsSeS 81
Yes" she sighed YEARLY. .Yes..
Dad, you might, ,,sssss
as She followed him to the door as he
Wat leaving and inapuisivsly threw her
ar, about his neck @I'll 90 up to