excerpt
A permanent frown appeared etched into the station agent’s
lined forehead. Today the frown seemed more pronounced than
usual because he had planned to retire to his quarters above the
station half an hour ago. He wanted, more than anything he could
think of at the moment, to put his feet up and get Molly to bring
him a glass of her cold lemonade. But today of all days the telegraph
had tapped out the message that a passenger would be detraining
at Nimkus.
Will could not remember when there had last been a passenger
for Nimkus. Not for at least two years, he would guess, when the
boys returned from overseas. He just hoped that whoever the passenger
was, they wouldn’t stick around asking a lot of foolish questions.
His feet were swollen from the heat, and his rheumatic joints
hurt something awful, as they always did in extreme weather.
At last, into the brooding silence of Nimkus, came the shrill cry
of a train whistle. Will emerged from his office, mopping his brow
beneath his celluloid eyeshade with a red checkered handkerchief.
Picking up the tongue of his wooden freight cart he pulled it slowly
along the station platform.
The locomotive came into view and the coaches shuddered to
a halt in front of him. But the coach from which the conductor
alighted stopped several car lengths in front of Will. Cursing mildly
he continued along the platform towards it. The conductor placed
his footstool on the rough boards then turned to offer a hand to a
lady – a young lady – who stepped down and looked around expectantly.
At first glance she appeared well dressed. Indeed, on a day when
the mercury in the thermometer did not hover around one hundred
degrees in the shade she would be well dressed. But it was obvious,
even to Will, that her attire was inappropriate for a mid-summer
day in Saskatchewan, this observation confirmed by the beads of
sweat that stood out on her forehead and upper lip.
She had on a flowered print dress, the white collar of which
showed beneath the lapels of her navy three-quarter length coat.
She wore a navy straw hat in the pancake style and white cotton
gloves. In one hand she carried a navy leather handbag and a small
satchel of plaid canvas while, in the other, she held a larger case …
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