-Minot USA.

A steam train sat before a train station. A couple of engineers walked around the engine, inspecting it for flaws. Meanwhile, in the cab of the engine, a young, soot-stained stoker shoveled coal into the blazing inferno that would soon help drive them forward.

Overhead, the sky was calm, a shade of peaceful blue without a cloud to pollute it.

The sun shone hot, a typical setting for a summer day.

Only the soft hiss of building steam broke the silence of the moment.

An elderly, black-clad woman hobbled from the train station. She paused to examine the train before her. It was obvious that only the caboose would be accessible from the platform itself. She would need to board through it and then move up through the train cars to her assigned seat.

More able-bodied members of society would simply swing themselves up onto the passenger car of their choice, however, her overworked knees would violently protest if she chose this option.

In any case, the woman wasn’t quite ready to board yet. She set battered cases beside a nearby bench and then sat as if the weight of the world had collapsed upon her. After a moment, she began to reminisce.

She had no grandchildren to regale with stories. So, for the moment, she was simply speaking for her own benefit.

She needed to do something to calm the anxiety boiling within her.

“Some people like to sit and think about the good old days. Huh, I don’t know how good they were, rockin and rattlin down the Saskatchewan trail in a red river cart. My word, those carts would squeal, you could hear them coming from a mile away. That wasn’t the worst of it though. You see, back in those days there were three places the Saskatchewan trail crossed the Whitemud river and each crossing got more difficult, with the third crossing being the worst. My husband being the man that he was, decided that the third crossing would be just the place to stop and settle.

C.P. Brown had just started the village of Third Crossing you see.”

The woman stared out into the distance. Her mind was seeing something far away, something beautiful that had been lost. She bit her lip and then continued.

“We had quite the times there. I still remember the day when two women went tramping through a mile of heavy snow to help another woman in labor. What can I say? In those days, people couldn’t afford to be independent. Maybe that’s what I miss most about those days, the fellowship, the friendships. Still, the time came when we had to move on from Third Crossing.”

The woman turned her face toward the sky as she spoke. She envisioned the events in her mind as she spoke of them.

“I can still see the sky going dark at midday as a cloud of grasshoppers came over us. Then, the grasshoppers landed and started eating everything in sight. Filthy creatures! Soon, our cattle were dying from the lack of food, and we humans weren’t doin that well either. That’s when my husband decided the only thing to do was move down here to the United States. He thought things would be more civilized down here.”

A lad burst from the railway station.

He glanced in all directions, looking for a way of escape. There was only one obvious option. The caboose! The lad ran toward it as if his life depended on it.

A young woman burst from the station.

Seeing her prey escaping, the young woman jumped from the station platform onto a small wooden handcar that sat behind the caboose.

The lad pointed and laughed as the young woman began pumping frantically on the handles of the handcar.

By all appearances, a chase was well underway.

The old woman stood, examined the scene before her, and then marched to the edge of the wooden platform.

“Do ya realize that train isn’t going anywhere?” She shouted.

The lad stopped pointing and laughing as his innocent blue eyes grew wide. “It isn’t?”

The young woman dropped the handles of the handcar. “It isn’t?” She parroted in exactly the same tone as the lad.

The lad flashed a smile full of mischief. “We knew that…um…we just wanted to try something we read about…somewhere.”

The old woman crossed her arms as her face grew stern. “In one of those foolish dime-store novels no doubt. Goodness. Anyone who didn’t know any better would think that this is the old west.”

“Well, isn’t this is the old west?” The lad said with a laugh.

The young woman marched to the edge of the handcar and began to lecture the lad. “Beg your pardon, but I would like to make a slight correction, this town isn’t really that old and we are in Middle America, therefore, it is impossible for us to actually be in the old west.”

The lad grabbed the white metal guardrail beside him and used it to swing casually to the ground. “Well, Betsy, there you go again.”

The young woman placed her hands on her hips. “What?”

“Contradicting me.”

“Bill, come on, I wasn’t contradicting you.”

The lad sidled up to the handcar and looked up at his enemy. “Like fun you weren’t, you just did it again!”

Besty took a swipe at the lad’s floppy grey hat. “No, I didn’t!”

“Stop it!” The old woman on the platform had to bellow to be overheard but she seemed to manage it without much trouble. The two youngsters at the handcar froze. The old woman’s voice took on a sarcastic tone as she continued. “That’s better! I must say, this town is lucky to have such sophisticated citizens as yourselves as residents.”

Bill moved to seat himself on the wooden handcar. “Why thank ya, ma’am.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

Bill’s short legs dangled over the tracks. His shabby grey overalls matched those of the young woman and every other low-level employee of the railway in those parts. Still, these facts didn’t dampen the tone of mischief in his voice. “My apologies Naomi, we know all the trouble you’ve had. We don’t want to be adding to it that’s for sure.”

“I thought we did?” Betsy took another swat at Bill’s floppy hat.

Bill ducked, chuckling as he avoided her hand of justice.

“Ha. Everybody around here knows the trouble I’ve had and you two have been a big part of it, as you know full well. I need to find some trouble I haven’t had yet.” Naomi gestured at the baggage cart standing behind her on the station platform. “Speaking of trouble. Shouldn’t you two fine citizens be doing something else?”

Bill swiveled to face Naomi. “Why yes, I suppose we should.”

“I beg your pardon, but I would like to make a slight correction to the facts you presented.” Betsy pointed to a clock high up on the station wall. “According to that clock, we don’t need to be back at work for another five minutes.”

Bill sighed. “Man, you do that every time.”

Betsy stroked the mane of long black hair that flowed from beneath her regulation hat. “I’ve told you before. I’m not a man, I’m a woman.”

Bill shook his head.“Well, there you go again.”

Betsy crossed her arms. “What?”

“Contradicting me.”

“Bill, don’t be silly. I wasn’t contradicting you!”

Naomi moved back to the bench she had just vacated. “Bah. I don’t have time for this! The train is about to leave.” She picked up her two battered bags. “Take my advice. Stop arguing and clean off that baggage cart! You’ll get more out of that than out of harassing an old woman.”

Bill slid off the handcar onto the ground. “Oh? Like what exactly?”

“Oh, I don’t know. An honest wage maybe. Maybe even a wife, you never know which poor woman God will decide to punish next.” With that bitter proclamation, Naomi headed off toward the train.

Betsy jumped from the handcar and followed Bill as he ambled slowly back toward the station platform.

Meanwhile, a sophisticated young woman had stepped into Naomi’s path. “Mother.”

Naomi carried on, easily pushing her way past her foolish daughter-in-law. “Please step aside Ruth.”

“Now, just wait a minute.” Ruth snapped, reaching out to grab Naomi’s arm.

Naomi turned back and unleashed a little of the frustration that had been building inside her. “That sure is strange advice coming from you. When was the last time you waited for anything?”

Ruth adjusted her black-rimmed glasses. “I didn’t come here to start an argument.”

“No, I’m sure you didn’t, you came here to persuade me to stay.” There was an awkward pause as the two women studied each other. As this was going on, Bill and Betsy were stroking their chins as they studied the baggage cart. Naomi fought the temptation to hurl more abuse in their direction. After a moment she decided to aim her wrath at her daughter-in-law instead. “That’s it, isn’t it Ruth?”

“I just wanted to ask, why are you leaving like this? I would have at least expected a word of goodbye…a wave, a hug.”

Naomi snorted. “I’m sure Patrick will gladly give you all the hugs you want, you sure don’t need any from me.”

“But, after all that has happened I thought that…”

“No more excuses. Step aside and let me board this train.”

Ruth’s pale blue eyes were pleading as they looked into Naomi’s wrinkled, hardened face.“But it’s been so long. Do you have any idea what Third Crossing will be like now?”

Naomi rolled her eyes. She knew she should do the motherly thing and talk some sense into her daughter-in-law. Her son would want that. With that in mind, she moved to a nearby bench and seated herself. “I don’t. I do remember that they changed the name of the town from Third Crossing to Palestine. What else they’ve changed remains to be seen I suppose. I can’t imagine that there’d be much.”

Ruth drifted into her imagination. Her voice took on the tone of an excited young girl as she began to pace, envisioning the glories awaiting her up in Canada. “I think it’d be so exciting to go up to Manitoba and see it.”

Naomi lowered her head, a beaten widow in black. “Things were sure a lot different up there. Why, during the great drought, C.P. Brown let everyone help themselves to stock from his store so we could get through the hard times.” Naomi raised her head and surveyed her surroundings as a familiar bitterness crept into her voice. “It would take a miracle for someone to do that around here.”

Ruth pulled an ornate paper fan from her purse and began to fan herself. “You make Palestine sound like the promised land.”

Just to the west, Bill picked up the long black hitch attached to the baggage cart and began pulling. At the back of the cart, Betsy leaned into the load before her, pushing with all her might.

Slowly but surely the cart and its cargo, one small suitcase, rolled along, moving west along the platform.

Naomi patted the empty space beside her on the bench. As Ruth moved closer, Naomi’s tone grew practical. “Ruth, I apologize for leaving you the way I did, but we need to be realistic. It was my son Bradley who brought us together and since he is no longer with us, the time has come for you to pursue a new life and marry a new man.”

Ruth seated herself. “But I haven’t even agreed to marry Patrick.”

Naomi took the hand of her daughter-in-law and squeezed it. “But you should. This is where you belong, this is your home!” Naomi stood. “And, I must go back to where I belong, to Palestine.”

Ruth stood as her voice grew more pleading. “But I know things around here could change, just give them a chance.”

A few hundred yards up the track, steam chuffed and puffed inside an engine, building up to the moment of departure. An engineer pulled a cord and the train whistle shrieked, underlining this fact.

Naomi picked up her two battered bags. “Bah, I’ve never trusted chance, never will. If C.P. Brown and his kind are still around Palestine I’m sure I’ll get by. Now, this train is about to leave, so please…”

Ruth was lost in thought and so made no move to resist as Naomi moved away from her. However, a strong resolve was building within her. As she witnessed Naomi pull open a door and vanish into the caboose, she knew what she had to do.

The train whistle shrieked again as Ruth gathered up her skirt and began to run the length of the platform, heading toward the train.

She heaved open the door of the caboose and rushed inside. It didn’t take long to make her way through the cramped interior of the caboose. Then she had reached her goal, the passenger car attached to it. The interior was dim, the only light was from the small rectangle-shaped windows between the rows of bench seats. Still, even in this light, she could see Naomi hobbling along the aisle.

Ruth charged after her mother-in-law.

Hearing the clatter of footsteps behind her, Naomi turned. A look of intense displeasure filled her face. “And what do you think you are doing?”

“After everything, we’ve been through, do you really think I’d just let you go off on your own?”

“And when may I ask did you decide on this course of action?”

Ruth smiled with naive optimism.“I just did.”

“Of course, if you had thought this through, you’d realize just how foolish you are being.”

Faced with this assault, Ruth’s overbearing optimism began to fade into the entitled attitude of a spoiled child. “That’s not fair! I’ve thought about traveling ever since I was a girl.”

“Maybe so, but I’ll wager you’ve thought about going to Palestine no more than five minutes!”

“Ten minutes maybe.”

“I thought so. Think! Here you have a family here who will support you, a wealthy young man who loves you.”

“A dreadfully dull young man who wants to get married and settle down.”

“Boring or not, he’s rich, so what more do you want? Go on back home!” Naomi was almost shouting now.

Ruth grabbed one of Naomi’s battered cases. “I’m sorry Mother. I’ve made up my mind. Where you go I go.” With that, she plopped herself down on the suitcase and crossed her arms. “Where you stay I stay.”

The train whistle blew again. Then, the sound of chuffing and chugging intensified. There was a jerk and a clatter as the train began rolling forward.

“Why does this remind me of the day that Bradley first introduced us?”

A smile crossed Ruth’s youthful face. “Because you lost that argument too! You see. The train is leaving.”

Naomi grasped the corner of a nearby bench and steadied herself as the car swayed. “That much is obvious. It is also obvious to everyone but yourself how foolish you are being!”

Ruth seemed oblivious to the swaying train car. “How could following my dream be foolish?” As she spoke, her mind began to wander the wistful plains of her imagination. “Walking the wide-open prairie sounds so, so wonderful in all those magazines I read.”

“Bah. If the conductor catches you here without a ticket, you might just get a chance to experience how wonderful walking the prairie really is.” Naomi eyed her daughter-in-law. “Did you even bring any money?”

A cloud passed over the sunny optimism in Ruth’s face.

“I didn’t think so. That would require planning ahead.” Naomi pulled a small pouch from its place in her jacket. After a moment of rummaging, she handed over a few coins. “Here, buy yourself a ticket.”

Ruth seemed embarrassed but she took the money. “Thank you. I will pay you back when I can.”

Naomi began gathering up her bags from their scattered positions in the aisle. “There’s no need for that. However, I would appreciate it greatly if you left me alone for a while, at least until you get off at the next station.” With that, Naomi began making her way down the aisle toward her assigned car.

“I’m not getting off at the next station,” Ruth proclaimed. As that confident note rang through the train car, Ruth strode after her mother-in-law.

-Minot USA. Train Station.

A well-dressed society woman stood on the dirt road that passed for a street. She frowned as she studied the train station before her. Her dress was a stylish brown, her white hat featured a yellow bird perched upon it. It wasn’t a real bird mind you, it was simply a bird created to add to the fashionable aspects of an otherwise ordinary hat. In any case, the woman seemed to have made up her mind about something and so had begun striding along the path leading to the platform. As she walked, she called out only one name. The name of Ruth.

On the platform of the station, Bill and Betsy were leaning against the baggage cart as if they didn’t have a care in the world. The sole piece of luggage sitting in the center of the cart remained untouched.

The society woman reached the station and mounted the steps necessary to reach the platform. “Pardon me, I’m Patricia McDonnell. I’m looking for my daughter, Ruth. Have you seen her?”

Patricia peered through her thick horn-rimmed glasses at the two youngsters leaning against the baggage cart.

Betsy lifted a fist to her mouth as she yawned. “Oh yes, we’ve seen her.”

“Sometimes we’ve seen her at the general store,” Bill chimed in.

“Sometimes at the bank.”

“Sometimes at the stables.” After Bill offered up this helpful nugget of information there was a moment of awestruck silence.

“Well, I’m so glad to hear that you’ve seen her.” A sarcastic edge entered Patricia’s voice. “What I really want to know is, have you seen her recently? To be more precise. Have you seen her in the last half an hour or so?”

Bill nodded as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. “Yep.”

“We sure have,” Betsy contributed after another brief pause.

Patricia’s remaining reserves of patience were fading fast. “Good. Now, where exactly was Ruth when you saw her last?”

Betsy moved to the edge of the platform and shaded her eyes as she peered down the line of railway tracks heading east. “Out there, on the train heading up to Manitoba.”

Patricia swiveled to follow Betsy’s gaze. Faint tendrils of black coal smoke were all that remained of the train that had just left. “Manitoba? My word, whatever would possess her to go to such a primitive place?”

Betsy’s voice was deadpan as she sidled back to her station beside the baggage cart. “Maybe it was the promise of new romance.”

Bill’s voice rose with dramatic passion. “The adventure of the open prairie.”

Not to be outdone, Betsy’s tone rose even higher. “The excitement of traveling to another country.”

Patricia was not amused. She moved toward the baggage cart and stared down at her two new enemies. “Huh. I can see that talking to you two is just going to be a waste of my time, isn’t it?”

A shade of mischief began to twinkle in Bill’s eyes. “Who knows, keep talking and we’ll soon find out.”

Patricia snorted with contempt. “No thanks. The only person I need to have a conversation with right now is my daughter.”

Betsy leaned into the cart once again. “I guess then you’ll just hafta buy yourself a ticket on the next train to Manitoba.”

“Alright.” Patricia began to rummage through her large black purse. “When does the next train leave?”

Betsy shrugged. “Oh, sometime after harvest.”

Patricia stomped her foot as frustration overcame her. “But that’s four months away! I was planning to have the wedding well before then. I mean, Ruth and Patrick were.” She paused to ponder her fate, then spoke. “What exactly am I supposed to do until after harvest?”

Betsy shrugged again. “I don’t know. Maybe try doing some work.”

Patricia marched toward Betsy, shouting now. “Work? I’ll have you know that I am a woman of standing in this community and I simply will not stand for any more insolence from…”

Bill swung his arm grandly, gesturing toward a nearby bench. “Feel free to have a seat if you won’t stand for it.”

Patricia seemed about to unleash the full force of her wrath on this degenerate boy. Then, after a determined effort, she regained some control of herself. She headed toward the doorway of the train station muttering with every step. “For Pete’s sake, I don’t have time for this. I’ve got to find another way to chase down my daughter.” With that Patricia entered the train station and slammed the door behind her.

“What a woman.” Bill shook his head. “You know, I’ve often thought about marrying Ruth myself.”

Betsy broke out in a fit of giggles. “Really?”

“Yep. I’ve been thinking that you’re gonna need a good sister-in-law.”

Betsy giggled again. “I’m glad you think so much of your sister.”

“No problem.” Bill picked the lone suitcase from the cart and began to head toward the doorway of the train station. “Anyway, I guess that’ll never happen now.” Bill stopped in his tracks. “Huh. By the look of it, it’s time for another break.” Bill dropped the suitcase to the platform.

Betsy began moving toward the doorway of the station. “No, it isn’t.”

Bill followed his sister. “So, back to that game again are we?”

“No, we aren’t.”

The two youngsters sidled into the station and let the door swing shut behind them. There was a moment of silence and then Patricia stormed out, full of rage against Bill, Betsy, Ruth, and the entire United States railway system.

Still, she was determined to find some way to chase down her daughter, no matter how much money it took.