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

young passenger anu tfleu 10 Lldhe COu
versatlon They We're just passing a
section house with its few surround.
ing buildings and tiny schoolhouse.
Near the latter was an improvised
slide"
That's the way the prairie children
make hills" he said. little dreaming
that he was touching Il very raw spot
in his companions heart, "They pile
up the snow industriously. pour water
on it just before sundoy . and in the
morning it is a jolly fine slide"
After that Miriam watched for the
manufactured hills. The pitiful sub
stitute for the sport of her girlhood
somehow made her feel more desper-
ately than ever the mighty chasm she
was cutting between her old life and
her new.
And when she was not watching for
"hills" she was trying to drown the
recollection of certain tender, plead
ing voice in the incessant, insistent
song of the revolving wheels beneath
her
1t was an actual relief when Schofield
was reached and she stood on the mar
row strip of platform in front of the
station. She peered through the dusk
in vain search for some break in the
level stretch of plain man in rough,
heavy clothing came forward BASH
fully.
you Miss Bradley, for over to Mud
1xy l. .,r1,1
wardly uplifted. Miriam merely nodded
well, I'm on the school board" he
said in some embarrassment. Il come
over a-purpose to see you and mebbe
save you the long stage ride"
"That was very kind of you," said
Miriam, trying to be cordial But
was fully resigned to the stage"
ooh. don't mean that" said the
man, with growing nervousness. But,
| you see. there's been some mistake-I
| don't know as you'd call it that either
but something happened unexpected
since we wrote you. Kate Higgins,
our old teacher, was all right We
| liked her well enough, but our doc
said she'd have to go south for her
| throat. When she got as fur as St
! Louis a doctor there said it wasn't her
! throat at all. and he fixed her Up. And,
| being as Kate was all satisfactory and
! she wants to stay-well, we were Won
| dering if we couldn't make some ar
| rangement with you to get another
| school round here somewhereS, or we'd
pay your fare back and give you what
ever you thought was right. You see,
we don't feel like going back on
| Kate
Certainly not" replied Miriam.
with such warmth that the brawny
westerner, as he said afterward, was
plum locoed" for few seconds. u
think you should pay my fare both
ways, and then we will call it square
could not have stayed very long any
how. You see, am to be married
soon. May send telegram before |
| go to the hotel?
| Her interested host followed her into
the station, protesting that the school
board must put her up at the hotel I'M
til the Overland passed through in
the early morning, eastbound And 50
he heard the telegram which the OPP
orator read aloud for verifcation:
James Meeker. Wellington. VT:
Am returning at once to where there
are hills-and homes. MIRIAM.
I'm sure obliged to that chap Meek
er, whoever he may be-" the westerner
unused as he led the way across the
rain soaked road to the hotel. Il Won
der what she meant about the hills?''
But, being courteous, he did not ask
and Miriam did not offer an explana-
| ton. She was content to think that
within twelve hours the Overland Lin
tied would be scurryjng her across the
detested plains toward the happiness
which she had so foolishly fed