Myra earned a reputation in town

 Page 7.

Myra earned a reputation in town from some hard cases with bellies full of John Barleycorn that she as hotter then a cat house on nickel night but everyone knew nickel night always cost a dollar. Before winter hit and the weather was good Myra bared herself to all present by bathing naked in a cold mountain stream. Her naked and wet body was statuesque’s and it glistened like Italian marble exciting even the most prudish onlookers. On her back just below her right shoulder was a tattoo of a red and yellow dragon breathing fire. Her long black and brown hair barely covered her breasts as some men stood transfixed fighting those unbearable thoughts of lust and desire. Myra was her own woman and she used her sexuality as a powerful tool. She knew what she wanted and knew how to get it and more importantly she knew how to control it.  Her beauty was deceptively enticing tempting even the strongest bible thumper’s pure inner soul as well as good will with thoughts of bodily pleasures. Some of the women on the trail weren’t as open minded or as tolerant wanting to banish Myra and send her packing.

Myra was also known throughout the group as moaning Myra because of her popularity with the men folk. This behavior seemed to happen mostly at night and some of the younger children asked Myra if she was sick and offered her some herbal medicine. One little boy thought Myra was calling wild animals at night so five year old Brian Shanky told Myra she should be careful calling hoot owls from inside her wagon because one may fly in with her flaps up? The behavior seemed to place a barrier between Myra and the other women who called her a shameless and soil dove. This only seemed to encourage Myra who would openly advertise her wares hanging up her corsets on the outside of her wagon to dry. She often stopped some of the men as they passed her wagon pointing out her frilly lingerie explaining they were sent from Paris, France. Myra stopped this practice after some of her Paris bought frills turned up missing and rumors had it some of the women borrowed them to keep their own men wagon kept but it didn’t last long.

Another claim circulating in the camp reported Miller was spotted wearing one of Myra’s man traps as he entered his wagon late one evening but this rumor could not be confirmed. Some of the men claimed Myra’s moans where just sweet lullaby’s that reminded them of being rocked in their cradles as babes. John Jacob Adams a self appointed man of the cloth in the travelers said he though Myra was singing church hymns and he was going to teach her everyone he knew. When Mrs. Adams got wind of this she reminded her husband about everything she knew about livestock castration. Others commented that Myra was a accomplished vocalist and could sing in any opera. It seemed Potts Miller took a shine to Myra who would hold her nose when anyone spoke his name. Myra once said she would rather swallow a live crawdad with a case of the scoots than to be in the same room with Miller. For whatever reason Miller was once found on a moonlit night lurking near Myra’s wagon, perhaps he wanted to hear some of Myra’s lullaby’s himself but no one really knew.