The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-03-06


her fellow passengers to the diner,
glad of any break in the monotony of
travel.
Miriam followed the others, rejoic-
ing In the conductors assurance that
in the evening she would eat her sup
per on firm land, for at nightfall they
were due at Schofield, the little station
where Miriam Bradley was to change
for the slow stagecoach that would car
ry her to Muddy Bend and her new
field of labor.
She was glad that there remained but
ten hours of train travel. 1t had proved
tiresome trip, though back home she
had looked forward with eagerness to
the journey.
Once she had run down from her
Vermont home to Boston, and there
had been short visits to nearby smaller
cities, but she had never Travelled so
far and naturally had anticipated much
pleasure in the novelty.
But, after all, she had found the long
journey disappointing The long, bare
stretches of prairie were a novelty at
first to this girl brought up in the heart
of the Green mountains, but they be-
came interminable, and now her eyes
hungered for the sight of her native
hills.
Under the driving rain the sodden
plain looked more dreary than it had
the day before. She tried to fix her
thoughts on a book, but the letters
danced before her eyes, and she caught
herself looking through the car win
dow and wondering if there were no
hills at all in this dreary expanse.
Back home there must be snow on
the ground, and the boys and girls
were -duobtless enjoying the coasting,
while the evenings would call out the
big hobs. and her own crowd would
take their part in the fun. Vaguely
she wondered if these children of the
plains ever knew the delights of the
long, swift journey down the glitter
ing white incline, and she sighed for
the little valley she had always known
as home
Yet she thought sternly that she had
done the one possible thing. The field
in the east was already overcrowded
with teachers, and she had heard that
only in the great and growing west
did a newcomer have IA chance for adj
vancement. And teaching it must be
or marriage with Jimmy Meeker
Even now, with hundreds of miles be-
tween them, she could feel her face
flush as she recalled how he had asked
her to marry him that she might have
a home and his protection.
He had meant well, no doubt and
ever since they had gone to school to-
gether he had shown his manly pref
erence for her. but he had put it rawly
that evening, to say the least. With
her nerves still singing from the shock
of discovering that her entire heritage
had gone down with the local bank, his
proposal, so awkwardly worded, had
been the final straw Indignantly she
reminded him that he had not spoken
until her need of support made his of
fer ring with pity, and she wanted not
pity, but love. from the man she mar
ried.
1t had all seemed very dignifed, al
most heroic at the time but now, with
the vastness of the unbrollen prairies
settling down upon her like a black
shadow her heart somehow had room
only for his answering plea that he
could nrt ask her to be his wife while
he was struggling lawyer and she the
Vnly heiress Of the comfortable Bradley
estate.
AS the day passed and she was hur
ried through the fiat, dismal country
both her reason and her heart rose in
rebellion. and when the call for lunch
con was sounded nervousness had done
its work She wanted nothing to eat.
The porter had seen just this brand
Of inconsistencies before, and he asked
permission to bring some tea and toast,
ut least. to her section. Abashed by
the tears that came to her eyes at his
friendly suggestion. he sought another
car and the conductor. Then this kind
~ Official sat down beside his tired