The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-01-06
The Danger Signal
A Critical Moment and the Courage
That Met Its Need.

ing wind and rain. Closed doors anH
ara wn blinds shut In the comfort Of the
shaclSs living room with its swapping
cheer Of a wood fire and the rudy gov
OF a red-shaded lamp. The home raui-
ance was reflected in the nush OF hhppi.
ness on Myra Norton's face and the solt
light In her brown eyes, as shQ gave
forgotten touch to the set table in q cor
ner of the room, or ran into the kltcneh
to peep again at the freshly-cooked sup
per sizzling its impatience 70 pc server.
Bob's train had been an hour late, Dut
twenty-five minutes ago It had rusheu
across the ranch the shack vibrating al
though shaken by the miscellaneous hands
Of toddling carr aGhe. When bop IA
bring suit against the railroad for whisk-
ing a husband 10 the station instead OF
letting him of at his own back door.
But he might reach tho snack az any
moment now Not even the MarlposA
lily-whose leathery laziness snamed the
giijleless Incidence OF other lilies Of the
field could withstand the lashes of suen
"A rain. Myra knelt before the Srnte'
each little hand swallowed by a big SIP
per outstretched before the flames. Sne
had SO much to tell the dear old boy
First, the tank at the barn had sprung
leak and while three men-the RUSSIAN
anarchist as mechanic and the POrtu-
guese twins working the pump--were re-
pairing IT, word was brought that Her
cules had broken pasture and was DshvM-
ing along the county road. Ana tWU
hours later. tle excitement pNtt tA'
prodigal's enforced return was calming
down. the message had come summonins
Retsev Burton 10 Fresno where her
np'cr-do- well son was dying Then every
thing had spun until the little lauy Heu ~,
bundled the weeping Betsey Off to her
train and whirled her own inexperleace
through the ordeal Of cooking supper ior
all the men. Bob's slippers dropped 70
the hearth rug and Myra held her pretty
head on one side like listening dog. Il
was Mariposa's whinny. She sprang 20
aer feet and darted To the door.
In the drive. through the darkness tne
light from the buggy lantern leaped to
sThree cheers for dueksl' she shouted.
taking a naughty delight IN splashes of
rain as she poked ner head Deyond ths
shelter of the porch. and waved a hand
Instead of the expected threat Of chas-
tisennent n She did not scamDer in the
buggy emitted only a disgusted grunt,
''Ah Sing" she cried. where Is MI
Nortomyr
impossible! You are stupid boy and
no come,s piaeidly repeated the Chi
nese. PLENTY. ram, ne auuen y y ,be
barn.
Myra stood before Bob's empty slippers,
blinking back the tears. hot coIee ana
patient coaxing had exnanded An sing
meeting the train that even Myra was
CONVINCED that her husband had not been
aboard B0ba habit OF making Sphnec-
tion" bY catching the steps q me ias.
car furnished sufficient explanation OF ms
nou-appearance. but as the owl haste
scorned their station there would be no
train until morning, and during the three
months that had passed since hobeIt 3s's,l
country home the two had not been sepa-
rated over night. "a
shining silver sprayed china and red
shad4d lamp for centerpiece. no longer
seemed worth while and Myra ate her
meal In snatehes. walking from stove 70
pantry, from pantry 70 stove Her mousse
work done she sat down with her GRO
chetinv Her body ached with WEAKNESS
and the hour was late. but she felt too
wide-awake for bed AS her needle went
in and out Of the blue zephyr, gathering
chains OF stitches into crowded shells, her
thoughts clustered about Bob-his exas-
pcratiun al missing the sSsin. his dlscom-
fort in q foriorn Motel, his anxiety about
her Fortunately. he doesn't know about
Betsey's desertiOn." she thought with q
bright unselfshness. Hell take 1t fOr
granted that III have her sleep IN the
shack" Suddenly a hand of ice laid IFS
fingers upon her heart-the realization
that she was the only woman on tht
The rain crashed upon the roof; the
wind beat fierce wings against door and
windows. the tick Of the clock measured
off the littleness OF all mite thlngs. Al
the fifth drop stitch Myra wrapped up her
crotcheting and laid II away in drawer.
Her mending bag on her arm she sat
down--in another chair But the darn
ire thread persisted IN knotung. ano
abandoning her task. with Hurried steps
Shs went TO the shelves for book
Seated in a third chair, she slowly turned
the covers. The meaning OF the story
blurred upon her brain as the printed
pages before her eyes. The loneliness OF
the room had become presence what
ever she did. wherever she went. II hoy
cred about her. With sudden start she
dropped the book ont Of her shaking
hands ana bent forward. listening. Tht
wind had died down and the rain nc
longer crashed The sound cf the storm
was like a swish OF waves upon a far
away beach. She heard a stealthy step
upon the porch
She tiptoe3 across the room. satisfying
herself that the front door was locked
stood still. every muscle strained. Tn
step passed on 70 the easement window.
In 4 fash OF horror she remembered th'
| broken catch. An awful moment more and
| the easement would open upon her help
lessness. She tried 10 cry oat, but hel
| throat closed. She could neither feel no
see; sha could only hear--the stealthy stei
] that turned to the door again. Th'
wind noaned. and the step came an'
/ went, no longer a stealthy tread, out
/ bold reckless thng-the nap. nap OF a
loosened shingle on the porch roof. TIL
spell that bound all her powers snappe'
in laughter, and the little woman drop
ped upon the arm OF a chair, weeping
In the hystcrlcal state, one idea tool
/ possession that OF flight Nothing could
I induce her to spend the rest OF the nigh
/ in the shack. She would call some one
to hitch up AIariposa and drive her to tn
Meadow Lark the nearest ranch. Blu
4 which man should she trust2 Bob ha'
/ had labor troubles, and the present gang
! Of men. temporary makeshitt had no no
4 been on the ranch fortnight Sh
/ formed a swift decision. First, sh
4 brought a lighted lantern from the kitten
4 on and placed il on the table, turning on
I the light OF the red-shaded lamp. Thel
/ she stamped on her high rubber boots
4 and buttoned her rain coat ABOUT her
! drawing its hood over her head, ant
finally. with the lantern swung on he
arm. she cautiously opened the front 900
and sped down the path TO the gate.
The cold air and the drift OF rain upo
| her face quieted her, but the adobe mu
OF the road sucked heavily. and Il 81
made no better progress. she would be a
hour reaching her destinations. As sh
i scraped sticky masses from her boot
4 on the edge OF a plank walk leading [
/ the railroad an inspiration came to hel
4 She would take this walk TO the track an
go along the ties until the railroad cross
/ ed the Meadow Lark.
1 Her city nerves had still a horror of tn
( black emptiness of a country night. bu
after her experience in the shack sh
I was conscious OF growing sense OF free
dom as she hurried along. and her eye
were so busy watching for bad places /
the boards that they forgot their fright
ened glanccs. and She came to the en-,
OF the walk before she noticed thre
lights twinkling only q few feet away
| Instinctively she turned shielding he
lantern as she peeped over nrst on