The Argosy, Vol. 61, No. 4 — page 97: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

HIS was ready to capitulate unconditionally. His wooing was speedy, and after only these few months Marjorie had promised to marry him—some time. This uncertainty was galling to the young railroad man. He knew plenty of fellows in his own line of. business who were married, and even supported in- creasing families, on their wages. _ The need of ‘‘saving’”’ had never im- pressed itself upon Alfred Dexter’s mind heretofore, because he had been alone in the world and had nobody dependent upon him. That condition is likely to make a fellow somewhat selfish and thoughtless about the future. A little cottage on the outskirts of the Junction—or even in Hambleton—would serve them to begin housekeeping in, and it was easy enough for a salaried man to furnish such a nest by the “ easy-pay- ment”’ method. Dexter “laid over’”’ at Freedom Junction until the morning, when Harry Connors’s crew took the eight - fifteen accommodation back to Selsburg. His hours were as regular as though he worked in an office, his money was sure, and he felt perfectly confident that he could take care of Marjorie. But there was a hitch when the pro- posed marriage came to the ears of the girl’s guardian. This letter, which Dex- ter had read several times already, was a final dash to his hopes. ‘Two years seemed a mighty long wait to the enamored young man; and then the condition Uncle Alger had put be- fore them was a somewhat startling one. “Our only chance,” he muttered. ‘Why, it isn’t a chance in a thousand! If I saved so much money in two years, I’d have to bank about half my salary right along. Huh! Uncle Alger cer- tainly has it in for me. Marj can think as she likes, but he doesn’t feel kindly toward me, or he wouldn’t have raised such a condition. ‘* Hang him, I’d like to fool him! I'd like to walk into his office and plank down the money and take him at his word. I bet he’d be somewhat §sur- prised. And, gee, I’d be surprised my- self if I could do it!” he finished rue- fully; =. The gong in the roof of the train-shed clanged. Connors, watch in hand, had his foot on the step of the forward car. TEMPTATION. 655 The engineer craned his head out of the caboose-window, his hand on the lever. It was the moment of starting. Suddenly there was a slight disturb- ance at the gate, a man broke through and ran along the platform as the wheels of the train began to turn. Dexter, as well as the other members of the crew, had leaped aboard. Some of the station employees tried to stop the belated passenger; but he flung them off, sprinted for the final few yards, and seized the railing of the last car. To avoid an accident, the flagman stooped and gripned the unwise man. ‘He was a fleshy fellow, dripping with perspiration, and he seemed almost at his last gasp when Dexter -dragged him aboard. “ That’s a foolish thing to do,” de- clared the trainman as he steadied the passenger on the platform while the train swung out of the shed and clattered over the switches in the yard. ‘Tt is, hey?” panted the man. “ Let me tell you /’m a hard man to beat. I never lost a train yet, and I’m not going to begin now.” He had a round, smoothly shaven face, his neck was fat and wrinkled over his collar, and his head was as bald and shiny as a peeled potato. His hair had been sandy in his youth, and was now mixed with gray, so that it looked very light indeed. He had small, bright eyes, which were not unpleasant in their ex- pression; but his mouth made a rather grim line when he was not speaking. He walked unsteadily into the car and sought a seat toward its forward end. To Dexter’s mind he was altogether too full-blooded a man to risk such exertion on a hot day; where he sat the top of his bald head—he had taken his hat off— ‘showed as red as flame. But the young man had little leisure just then to ruminate upon the fat man. The train’s first stop was but ten miles out, and it would have been impossible for Harry Connors to punch all the tickets alone. His flagman was furnished with a punch, and always worked forward from the rear end, meeting the conductor somewhere in the third day-coach, and before the train slowed down at the first station. Co NOOO (©