The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-19
THE EVENING STORY
Myra's Sign.
(By Lulu Jonnson.)

| 6AOoAio e14lQ presently she was
able to discern a toy train making its
progress toward the west Three
puns OF white steam sprans from in
front OF the cab and presently there
were borne to her ear three faint
! blasts OF the whistle in fit proportion
to the absurdly diminutive appear
ance of the locomotive.
she slipped the big white apron from
her trim waist and waved it above
her head, then single short blast of
had been seen.
Presently the train vanished into
| another cut In the rolling prairie, but
| Myra did not return to her work. She
| remained leaning against the rough
| hewn doorpost, looking out across the
| dreary waste Of land.
When summer came and the wav-
ing grain covered with it's velvet pile
the gentle fluctuations, Myra liked to
pretend that 1t was an ocean across
which her ship would presently come
sailing to it's haven of good hope.
Ddmly against the southern horizon a
line of purple against the blue of the
SKY marked the commencement OF
rooth1lls, but to north, east and west
as far as the eye could see there was
| only the rolling prairie.
Myra hated the low, flat surface
even in the summer when the ocean
or grain concealed its nakedness and
gave the suggestion of a mystic ocean
ana In the early spring, with it's brok-
en- surface and the brown grass Of the
Ialiow nelds, her soul revolted at the
very sight of the ground. Yet now
she leaned against the doorpost and
looked across the brown earth to
where she knew the single line Of the
railroad ran.
In the long summer days she had
two visits from Jim Purdy, for then
it was still light enough when he
came past at 6 to wave signal and
to receive the answering toot that was
to be heard only when the wind was
from the south. At other times only
the puff of steam from the whistle
told of the signal.
These were about the only visits
Myra received. Robert Sackett was
close grained, self-contained egotist,
and young men were not made well
come at the Sackett quarter section.
Purdy had come in spite of the surly
reception he had received from the
father of the girl he loved. There
had been long calls on pleasant sum-
mer nights and plans for what they
would do when Jim should have COM
pleted his probation as engineer and
should be given regular run.
Myra had promised to marry him
when all this should come to pass.
They would live at the end OF the di-
10000 inhabitants. and where the
dreary monotony of the plains was
broken by the close proximity of the
mountains. Yet, when Jim had come
to claim her hand. aglow with joy
over his promotion, she had drawn
back
81 can't leave dad" she explained
simply. Mother told me to take
care of him, and I promised her that
would. Promises to the dead can't
be broken, JIM"
"But she didn't mean that you must
IN,
your own happiness just to make Mr..
Sackett comfortable" the man de-
MED. "She didn't mean that. Myra.
She only meant you were to look az
ter him In way. Your pa would be
Just as well satisfied with a hired
cook"
Myra shook her head In negation
even while she knew that what Jim
said was true. In the summer when
the crops were in there were half a
morning until late IN the night she
toiled in the hot kitchen. In the win
ter Sackett spent much of his time
in the nearest town, some eighteen
miles away, leaving Myra alone in the
homestead.
1t was of these things she thought
as she looked out across the pillows
of unlovely earth, and wondered if
perhaps her sacrifice was not In vain.
It was much as Jim had said: Rob
ert Sackett would be as happy and as
comfortable under the ministratfons
Of hired housewife.
Day after day she had stood In the
doorway, after Jim's train had pass
ed, wondering II perhaps she had not
made more than the sacrifice that her
some sign by which she might be
guided. No sign came, however, and
there was only the dreary prospect of
an unending round of drudgery, with
no compen sating words OF thanks and
affection
Her hands clenched as she thought
of the last two years; those years In
which she might have been Purdy's
wife. when she might have exchanged
the dreary round of the quarter sec
ton for a coy home in town where
the Rockies lowered above them and
all was not fiat and deadly monoron-
Gus of outline.
She still stood there as the familiar
team attached to the heavy 1arm
wagon crept over the edge OF the
nearest billow of earth. Sackett, in
the drivers seat, gave no heed to My
ra's signaling but drove stolidly on,
until at last he had turned into the
home Enclosure and numbered down |
from the seat, tossing to Myra a cou-
pie of letters addressed in Purdy's IA
miliar handwriting.
last night he said sheeplsh1y as ne
removed with care a demijohn from |
the wagon box and took 1t into the
barn.
Mvra nodded understanding1y. 1t |
ALWAYS late when her father conclud- |
ed his simple business errands; too
late to make it worth while to get |
back to the homestead that night. He |
salyed his conscience with this time
Worr fiction and spent roisterous |
night at the Eagle hotel. She left
him to put up the tired horses. while
she hurried into the house to read her
letters and prepare dinner.
Her soul stirred at the thought OF
+be drudrer-y before her young life for
the sake of a man who left her alone