Part 9 (1/2)
”My information will not be available to the railroad through me, but if you will dismiss your clerk, I will give you, as man to man, enough information to ease your mind.” In saying this I was thinking only of Hiram.
After some hesitation, he nodded to the expectant clerk, who rose instantly and left the apartment.
”Mr. Taylor--I believe you said your name was Taylor--this matter has upset me, and I may have been rude,” he apologized, and lapsed into the att.i.tude of a very decent fellow with troubles of his own. I then gave him enough details to put Hiram right. He was immensely relieved and pleased to gain such valuable information.
”You seem to know something of this young Strong?” he queried. My reply was that I thought I had a very good line on Hiram Strong, Jr.
”His cash and station records are as clean and straight as a pin--he seems to be rather under-cla.s.sed and is capable of better things. What are his antecedents?” The superintendent's interest was aroused.
”My knowledge does not extend beyond his father, a Southerner, now a prominent financier in New York. It appears he decided that the only way to make something of this boy was to throw him out entirely on his own resources, and apparently the old gentleman's reasoning was good.”
”I believe you are right; there is good blood in him. Our big trouble is in making good railroad men from material without any blood base. We frequently have to make 'a silk purse from a sow's ear,' which is generally considered impossible--but we do it. Now the case of this other fellow--can you conceive of a full grown man with no better sense than to take a fifty-pound case of dynamite, drive nails into it, and then use it as a chair? But I am greatly relieved to know just how it happened, and if I can ever be of any service to you, don't fail to make it known--will you?” he asked, rising formally, to end the audience.
When I came out Hiram glanced at me searchingly, as though he would learn something from my att.i.tude. He had been absorbing information from the train conductor. Hiram had developed a penchant for burrowing into the confidence of every one and getting inside knowledge of their difficulties.
At this time we succeeded in running around a freight train that had been holding us back, and entered New Orleans so fast that conversation was quite impossible.
Before we reached the station the clerk came out and told Hiram and Gus to report at the office at nine the next morning, at which Hiram became thoughtful, but not downcast.
He was able to get his old room next to mine, which pleased him, and after opening the connecting door and cleaning up a bit, he came in and gave me one of his strenuous whacks between my shoulders.
”Old man Ben, what do I draw to-morrow morning at nine?”
”Hiram, I don't know,” I truthfully replied, working my shoulders where he had hit me, ”but I think you will be drawn and quartered and made into good fertilizer; that's all you're fit for.” At this he began to cavort and caper about like a colt.
”Well, I don't mind telling you how I feel--I don't give a Continental sou Marquis what I draw. I feel like fighting wild cats and buzz-saws.
Now that Anna Bell Morgan has promised to marry me, nothing else matters.”
CHAPTER XI
HIRAM and I were soon ready for the next thing in order--something to eat.
”I suppose now you will want a porterhouse as big as Rhode Island----”
”And as thick as a London fog, with enough mushrooms to choke an alligator,” he broke in joyously. ”Ben--I want you to know right now that I think you are an infernal scoundrel. You know why my brand-new typewriter blew up this morning and started the whole of Quarrytown over into the river, incidentally putting the main line on the b.u.m--and won't tell me!” he added, squaring himself in front of me.
”You'd better wait until to-morrow and see what your sentence is before you begin to accuse me,” I replied, with a solemn wink which he couldn't quite fathom.
”Oh, I suppose the 'Sauerkraut' and I will get bounced incontinently.
But what do I care? Had it not been for what happened this morning I wouldn't know that a perfectly sweet and innocent girl really loves me.
I don't care if this part of the world comes to an end, you can't get me into the doldrums. Besides, I know my hands are clean, and I have done nothing for which they should blame me, but they may be looking for a horrible example--a railroad is a railroad--eh, Ben?”
Then, a.s.suming a more serious att.i.tude, he continued:
”I've got a trade now--a way of making a living. I can walk up the street and look any man or woman in the eye, as one who can account for himself, who can do something useful, and at the same time possess the love of a good girl--it's great, Ben! Do you know anything about such things? I shall be no man's dog in the future. Already I've kicked the can off of my tail, to use a figure of speech.”
”I don't quite understand you, Hiram,” said I, recalling the fact that this was the second time he had referred to some such handicap.