Argosy, Vol. 112, No. 2 — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

THE SINGLE TRACK. Pietro nodded respectfully, half fear- fully. “J bring them all-a back, all-a but de raze’!’’ he said eagerly. “I no right to buy off-a you, but our stuff no good, big-a price. Malison, he see me dis-a afternoon. I see heem go your store, too, but he come-a out queek and verra mad, black-a de look. He see me show de raze’ one our boys, he come after me, tak-a de raze’ away and do to me whatta you see. I theenk I die you no come feex-a me up, mees. I no t’ank-a you, I no can t’ank—” “That is quite all right, Pietro, and you need not return the things you bought. I am only glad that you feel stronger now and are not in such pain.” Jane smiled at him. “ My father will go with you to Ma Heaney’s, and see that she takes you in. I sincerely hope that you will not have any more trouble with your superinten- dent.” Pietro shrugged. ‘“T taka de chance,” he observed philoso- phically. ‘“ When I getta my pay I quitta de comp’; no good, not on de square.” Jane waited with a little catch in her breath, but he said no more, and she dared not question him in the presence of Hoyt lest she lose what confidence the Italian might have placed in her. When he had departed, leaning heavily upon Peddar’s arm, she turned to the engi- neer. “You will stay and have supper with us, won’t you? My father isn’t a very good cook, I am afraid, but we have lots of canned things, and we would be so glad to have you.” He shook his head smilingly. “Thank you, but I can only stay until your father comes home,” he replied. ‘“T suppose it wouldn’t do,” she mur- mured mischievously. ‘“ It wouldn’t be the thing for the chief of the Northern Star Company to accept the hospitality of the humblest of his employees.” To her surprise he did not respond in like tone to her raillery. Instead his face darkened again and he said almost fiercely: “You know that isn’t the reason! Do you take me for a snob, Miss Peddar? 291 Position and place make no difference up here, thank God; it is the work that counts, But I’ve got to get back to the job.” “It’s progressing, isn’t it?” Jane asked. ‘The other people have done nothing to interfere with you since the explosion, have they? I wish they would let me go to see that poor boy, but the doctor said it would not be establishing a good precedent.” ‘“ Hansen is coming along nicely, and we will have him back at work in a few days now.” Hoyt paused and then turned to her with © a curious boyish impetuousness: ‘“T don’t suppose you have any idea of it, Miss Peddar, but I want to tell you how much you did for me that day when you followed me to that demolished shack where the men themselves were actually afraid to go.” Jane smiled. “T didn’t know there was any danger,” she said, with naive honesty. ‘‘ They shouted to me, but I didn’t stop to hear what they said, or even to think.” ‘““No,” he repeated. ‘ You didn’t stop to hear or even to think, and when Jud Pittinger asked you why you had walked straight into danger, you said it was because I had gone. Do you realize what effect that had upon the men themselves? ‘That you, a newcomer on the job, a mere girl, would follow where I led, unquestioningly, while they held back? “‘T suppose I was fairly successful with them before that, but I am a comparative newcomer myself, you know, and althgueh they acknowledged my _ authority Ri seemed to like me in a sort of way, I did not know how far I could trust them for absolute loyalty in a crisis. “You shamed them, Miss Peddar, and I think if I know men that they would follow me now into the very jaws of disaster.”’ “Tf they would, it is only your own per- sonality which has done it, Mr. Hoyt.” Jane turned away to hide her glowing eyes. ‘““T hope they are loyal, but if there is really a traitor among them—”’ ‘““T am afraid there can be no question: of that.” once more. ‘So many of these so-called accidents have occurred at or near the time S) (E@) Hoyt’s face grew swiftly grave- MUCeLeXexe) > ~ ne ~ on