Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-25
Tom Burke of Triple x.
n n ISIS DUNNINcs. ten years Gov
NH eminent employe in Wash.
4" ilsgton and dismissed with
4 Il out an hours notice. went

hh eFnnle0L einpiOye III wash
wv ilagton and dismissed with
A il out an hours notice, went
to her boarding house with
calm face and steady eyes. for that
VAS her way.
When she reached her room she
went straight to he~ desk and took
three letters from one of its pigeon
holes. These she spread out In the
order of their receipt. placing the one
. of the morning below the others. Then
she read:
North Dakota, January /. l915.-
Dear Edith: j got here two months
ago and expended four of my five hun
dred dollars In 45 good cows. which
l think ] got at a bargain. ] believe
! understand cattle pretty we'll, dear.
1 even if / did make failure of my
g farm back there The other hundred
dollars | put into a dugout and some
blankets and provisions. It is hard,
hut bracing country out here, and this
morning the thermometer is 81 degrees
below zero. ] am glad you have the
Government position. 1t will be bet.
ter than keeping house for that uncle
Of yours. But this is enough now, be-
cause you said ! must make good by
actions and not by words.
TOM BURKE"
North Dakota. April !, 1911
Dear Edith: Two years late-. Have
A. cows now, 80 yearlings and 80
calves. Had my fingers and toes
frozen several times. and can ride a
wild mustang as well as most of the
cowboys. Shot five bears and traded
three of the pelts for my mustang.
This is about all the real eo''0'' SO
FAR. TOM"
Triple \ Ranch y. D., April 1,
1919.-Dear Edith; You notice ] have
ntS ranch named now, with my brand.
though ii is Government land and !
still live in a dugout. But | have 260
cows, $50 yearlings and ESQ calves.
have hired a Swede to help me. In
four more years. at the rate of in
crease so far, shall have over a
thousand head of cattle. Then shall
sell and return home and buy my old
farm. That is my great ambition now
and you"
She read the three letters with as
much Indifference as though the
writer was "a stranger; but then she
knew them all by heart, and five
wears of silence were in her mind.
With the same indifference she opened
the letter of the morning and began to
read. But as her gaze went over the
sprawling letters her eyes widened
her face went white. and through
binding tears she threw herself upon
the bed and sobbed bitterly.
''Oh, Tom, Tom she moaned. II
was hard, so hard But / was only
trying to make a man of you and
YOU were man all the time inside.
I ought to have known. Oh, Tommy.
Tommy! 1t was all my fault
Five minutes later she rose, bathed
her face and took up the letter for
second reading:
No Ranch, No Cattle, y. D., April
l. 1924--My Dear Miss Cumming: I
have failed to make good and am
merely writing this because you may
hear OF my returning to the old neigh
horhood. hope TO find some sort Of
Job there, perhaps as driver of a milk
wagon. You will find this letter al.
most unreadable, for I am writing
with my left hand, and it comes awk-
ward. My right was amputated after
the great blizzard.
The year after ! wrote you before
took my herd farther up into the
Northwest for better grazing and built
another dugout. For year or more
all went Well, and the herd increased
TO over 800. Then came the great biiz-
zard ] struggled with it for three
weeks, but in the end being driven
over loo miles, with four fifths of my
herd dead and myself frozen to use
lessness for the time being. When /
got out half of the few-cattle left were
gone.
But there seemed no reason why
q one-armed man shouldn't make
good, so I started in again and had
built the herd up to half it's former
size, when the big snow of last Win
ter came and buried great punches
OF the cattle. / am now being cared
for by good friend of mine named
10 IN nho oil Ia hiv-%r,
head of cattle / had left, and as soon
as my broken leg mends enough for
travel, which the doctor says will
be before the end of the month";
shall start home. The cattle money
will pay the doctor and my fare.
II hope your government work is
proving congenial, and that you have
or will have some one to bring into
your life the happiness that my in
competency has denied me. Sincere
ly yours, THOMAS BURKE"
Poor boy"' murmured Miss Dun
ming as she kissed the letter. HE
has much more than made good and
l shall be so proud of him."
She went TO her desk and removed
the contents of a small drawer,
which represented her worldly wealth.
few hundred dollars saved from her
salary and the deed of a lot far up
14th street. She had purchased it
through the responsiveness of a land
agent during her first year in the
department, and paid for 1t in install
ments. The agent had taken her out
swiftly in an automobile, and 1t had
not seemed so very far. Later, when
she went out to the end of car line
and then walked across stony and
muddy fields to the lot she felt diff
ferently. She had gone back to the
agent and offered the lot for cost, half
cost. and then quarter. But the agent
only laughed. The lot had cost her
$1,000 Maybe she could sell it for
something.
An hour later she was at the land
office. The man she had bought Of
was away, but his partner was in.
lie advised her to hold on.
Il have been holding on nearly ten
years" said Miss Dunning Now I