Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-01-03
The Signal
By GRANT M. SASSAMAN
q Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service
VXTHITE-FACED and angry. they
wv looked at each other over the

XXTHITE-FACED and angry. they
w looked at each other over the
front door threshold.
1.-The trouble with you, Don. is that
you don't want me to have any pleas
ure at ALL" Mary Feldon's hazel eyes
snapped tire, but the young man stand
ing stolidly before her saw they were
close to tears.
Listen. Mary" he said quietly. Il
want you to have everything it's pos
sible for me to give. But you must
remember I'm railrOader. and there's
always a certain amount of danger to
face. | can't be running around every
night to parties and shOws-losing
sleep-and then 60 out on my runs.
I'm not the roads president. I'm only
q brakeman.
perhaps you made mistake In
marrying me. Mary" he said. his voice
slightly bitter. "You were accustomed
to better things. -
Don, I'm tired of all of this" Mary
broke in. I'm fed up with packing
lunches, staying here alone nights
when you're away on two-day rum"
Pm sorry. Mary" A lump came into
Donald Feldon's throat. Il didn't real.
ize it had got you that bad" He turned
and regarded his pretty wife search.
ingly. "But If that's how you feel. may
be we'd better call it quits. II you're
not here when come back tomorrow.
I'll understand"
As long as she could see him. Mary
watched his broad shoulders moving
rhythmically under the blue denim
Jacket She experienced. with her ebb
ing anger. a pang of remorse.
And 1t all had begun with a joking
remark Don made about her house
dress. 1T makes you look so domestic,
darling" he had said.
They had been out late At . party
the night before. and she had just
fallen asleep when the callboy came
hammering at the door. Then. too. she
had planned to attend Nellie Robbins
dance tonight.
She had slipped on an old house
dress. cooked hurried breakfast But
all the while anger brought on by dis
appointment and fatigue was tearing
at her Then Don had mentioned the
dress.
"Domestic?" she had Jared slave,
you mean! That's all I've been for the
past TWO years!
Il suppose you won't like It, DOn."
she said to him. "but I'm going to the
dance tonight regardless. I'll call up
Bob Ames He'll take me-"
Bob Ames? OF course she had gone
around with Bob before she had met
Don. She never had cared much for
him. She knew, however. that Bob
Ames cared for her. and Don knew It.
too. From anger and regret Mary's
emotions swung to the other extreme
A gnawing fear took hold of her. Dr.
vorce? She didn't want a divorce
Don would realize she hadn't meant
those things. and he'd signal his for
giveness Several times In the past she
had stood here on the porch regret
ting heated words. and then she had
been cOmforted by Don's signal.
It had been a sort of game with
them. The signal sometimes had been a
wave of the hand at other times. when
Don was busy inside the caboOse or
watching signals from the far side Of
the engine. 1t was handkerchief tied
somewhere for her to see.
At the first sound OF DOn's train
Mary was back on the porch. 1t was a
fast freight. She gripped the porch
rail with taut fingers. as the engine
came abreast of the house There were
three men on the head end. Was that
of the tender? II couldn't be! Don
would be on this side waving to her.
1t looked like Don. but
He's back in the caboose" Mary
told herself aloud. as the engine roared
by and the freight cars became sud.
. denly blurred. Why give up hope? Don
wouldn't let her down! He would sig.
nal her from the caboose
} At noon Donald Feldon dropped
, down from the engine cab and waited
for the cabOOSe to come up Standing
, there beside the tracks. he swOre soft.
ly to himself for having been too stub
born to wave to Mary. He had seen
her on the porch. and there had been
, something disturbingly tragic In the
, way she had chung to the railing
With weighted feet he swung aboard
. the forward steps of the lazy caboose
, when it came up. The shrewd old eyes
! of the gray-haired conductor. Lunoy
, surveyed him.
Il saw Mary on the porch as We
came BY" he said. did you wave from
, the front end?"
/, "Why-er-"
. shut up" said the old man gently
, You didn't or she wouldn't Of been
I standin' there like that when the hack
I rolled past You two had some sort o
fuss | saw II on your face as soon's
you hit the roundhouse. I'm an ole
busybody. I see everything"
\ Don sat down on a bunk while the
= conductor started for the rear plat
o form. muttering loudly: We'll. guess
> the DANCED thing oughta be dry BY
now. It's been hangin' on the rail evel
| since We left tho wards"